The Los Angeles Lakers are in a great spot in their Western Conference semifinal series with the Golden State Warriors. In NBA history, the team who wins Game 3 in a best-of-seven series that is tied 1-1 goes on to win the series 73 percent of the time. Those are odds the Lakers will be looking to improve upon to advance.
Los Angeles won the pivotal Game 3 at Crypot.com Arena on Saturday evening in blowout fashion. They won 127-97, steamrolling the defending champions behind more stellar performances from Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
Davis was dominant on both ends of the court again after a letdown in Game 2. He scored 25 points with 13 rebounds, three assists, three steals, and four blocks in 33 minutes. James had 21 points after making a concerted effort to get his teammates involved early on. It was a vintage performance as he added eight assists with eight rebounds in 32 minutes.
The player who kept the Lakers afloat in the early going, when the Warriors opened up an 11-point lead, was D’Angelo Russell. He scored or assisted on more points in the first half than Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined, putting the team on his back.
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Russell finished the game with 21 points, five assists and three rebounds. Austin Reaves, Dennis Schroder and Lonnie Walker IV all scored in double-figures as well as the Lakers’ supporting cast was excellent in Game 3.
Despite having a 2-1 lead, James offered a bold warning to his team heading into Game 4. He emphasized not getting complacent or comfortable as the Lakers haven’t accomplished anything yet.
“Just don’t get comfortable,” James said. “We don’t have the luxury to get comfortable versus a Golden State team. As long as we stay uncomfortable, knowing they can run off three straight (wins) versus us, or whatever they want to if we got comfortable. So, it’s about maintaining our habits, understanding that this team is very dangerous, and never get comfortable when you hit the floor with these guys.”
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, Steph Curry & Golden State Warriors Updates
Golden State just erased an 0-2 deficit in their first-round series against the Sacramento Kings. That should be all the motivation that Los Angeles needs to keep their foot on the pedal as momentum could shift back toward the Warriors in an instant.
The Lakers were able to flip the script in Game 3, as they knocked down 48.4 percent of their 3-point attempts while the Warriors made only 29.5 percent. The 3-point shot is the great equalizer for Golden State, so if Los Angeles is going to keep it close or even outperform them from 3-point range, the purple and gold are in a great position to find success.
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