Golden State Warriors vs. LA Lakers: Key takeaways from Game 3
The Los Angeles Lakers obliterated the Golden State Warriors in blowout fashion.
Huge defensive efforts from Anthony Davis and his teammates lifted the Lakers after their big loss in Game 2 as they defeated the defending champs 127-97 taking 2-1 series lead.
Davis scored a game-high 25 points along with 13 rebounds and four blocked shots. He put up a defensive masterclass against the surging Golden State offense.
Curry was the lone wolf on the Golden State Warriors side as he dropped 23 points on 9-21 shooting.
A complete performance from Anthony Davis helped the @Lakers secure a 2-1 series lead!
LeBron: 21 PTS, 8 REB, 8 AST
D'Angelo Russell: 21 PTS, 5 AST, 5 3PM
#NBAPlayoffs presented by @GooglePixel_US https://t.co/zXBPuqCHgl
Here are the key takeaways from Game 3:
#1. Golden State Warriors' shooting proved costly
Golden State were shooting just 35% from the field when Steve Kerr subbed out his starters at the 9:11 mark in the fourth quarter. It was a below-par game in terms of offensive efficiency for the Warriors, especially after what we witnessed in Game 2.
The Golden State Warriors committed a total of 19 turnovers, and gave away 27 points off them. Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole combined for 10 of those turnovers as things just didn't go ther way.
After that electrifying 21-point Game 1 performance, Poole managed to score just 11 points from both Game 2 and 3 combined while shooting 5-15 from the field. The Warriors need Poole's offense more than ever if they are to stay in championship contention.
Free-throw differential has been the talk all series as many Golden State Warriors fans are livid about the disparity in officiating. On Saturday, The LA Lakers attempted a total of 37 free-throws compared to the 17 attempted by the Warriors, 6 of which came late in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers had 20+ more FTA than the Warriors for the second time this series.
That is tied for MOST games with NET FTA of 20+ in a single Playoff series (since the merger).
We are only 3 games into the series.
#2. LA Lakers' 2nd quarter turnaround swung the game
The LA Lakers were trailing 40-29 after a Moses Moody made 3-pointer at the 7:11 mark in the second quarter.
Then came an improbable 30-8 run to finsh the second quarter. From down 11 to up 11, the Lakers turned it up to finish strong at half time leading 59-48.
It all started from a Curry turnover in transition as he passed the ball to Klay Thompson who wasn't even looking at him to receive the ball. From then, it was all downhill for the Warriors as they kept piling up the fouls and turnovers. Draymond Green and JaMychal Green both received a technical foul along with an unsuccesful challenge.
Curry yelled “C’MON!!” and was visibly frustrated after passing to an unaware Klay in transition. Warriors were up 11 and in position to stretch the lead
Steph pinpoints the moment that the momentum changed in tonight's loss ⤵️ https://t.co/qFb5s072Bp
#3. Draymond Green was far from his best
After a brilliant defensive show in Game 2, Green was caught in foul trouble early in the game and couldn't play upto his potential.
Steve Kerr kept subbing him in and out throughout the first half as he kept picking up ticky-tacky fouls every now and then. This troubled Green's confidence and Anthony Davis dominated the Warriors in the paint, both offensively and defensively.
Moving on to Game 4, the Golden State Warriors are now in a must-win situation to avoid going into a 3-1 deficit. Can the Warriors comeback from this infuriating loss and bounce back to tie the series 2-2? We'll find out Monday.