The Los Angeles Lakers knew they needed to defend their home court in Game 3 in order to keep the Golden State Warriors on their heels.
The Crypto.com Arena crowd couldn’t have been thrilled with the first quarter as the Lakers fell behind by seven after a slow start on both ends. However, Los Angeles managed to turn things around quickly from the second quarter onward to blow out Golden State and take a 2-1 series lead.
Almost every Lakers win during the 2023 NBA Playoffs has featured a dominant performance from Anthony Davis and that was once again the case as he lorded over the painted area in Game 3. Davis looked much like himself from the Game 1 victory, scoring efficiently from the floor while essentially locking things down defensively.
In just 33 minutes of action, Davis led L.A. in scoring with 25 points on 7-of-10 shooting including going 11-of-12 from the free throw line. He also cleaned up the defensive glass as he pulled down 13 rebounds while also recording three steals and four blocks. It was another defensive masterpiece for The Brow who has been the Lakers’ best player in the playoffs so far.
The game may have not gone in Los Angeles’ favor if they weren’t able to weather their offensive woes in the first quarter. D’Angelo Russell almost single-handedly kept the Lakers afloat, scoring 13 of his 21 points on the night in the first period alone.
It was encouraging to see Russell shoot the basketball with so much confidence, especially from deep where he nailed five of his eight attempts. The Warriors have committed themselves to trying to force the Lakers to score in the half-court and Russell is one of the few options who can create his shot while knocking down open looks from distance.
Surprisingly enough, LeBron James was complicit in the Lakers’ poor start as he didn’t take a shot in the first quarter. However, James realized he needed to be more aggressive and responded accordingly in the second quarter by running out in transition for layups or fouls.
The King would finish with a near triple-double of 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists but his energy on the defensive was arguably more impressive.
What’s next for Lakers
With a 2-1 lead in hand, the purple and gold could put a real chokehold on Golden State if they’re able to take Game 4 at home on Monday. After that, they’ll be heading to the Bay Area for Game 5 on Wednesday.
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