NBA 2018-19: 3 talking points from Los Angeles Lakers' thumping win over Golden State Warriors
The Los Angeles Lakers had a totally dominating and commanding victory over the defending champions Golden State Warriors despite losing LeBron James midway through the match because of a groin injury.
The Lakers led almost for the entirety of the match and ultimately finished with a 127-101 win.
When LeBron got hurt, the Lakers had a 14-point lead. The Warriors went on a 14-2 run after that and cut the Lakers' lead to just 2 points; it seemed as if the Lakers wouldn't be able to recover from LeBron's injury.
But Kyle Kuzma and Rajon Rondo made good plays on the following possessions, and the Lakers again garnered control of the match. Lance Stephenson hit a 3 on the buzzer to end the third quarter for the Lakers with a 9-point lead.
With the win, the Lakers improve to a 20-14 record in the Western Conference and are currently lying at the fourth position. The Warriors have a 23-12 record and are the second placed team in the West.
Here are the key talking points from the match:
#3 Great all-round effort by the Lakers
The Lakers controlled the entire match and dominated almost every statistical category. They shot 55.3% from the floor and were also brilliant on the defensive end of the floor.
The Lakers also displayed great effort on the boards. They out-rebounded the Warriors 49-37 and never allowed them to go on one of their runs.
The Lakers have been one of the surprisingly top defensive teams in the NBA this season, and their defense was contagious in this match. The efforts put in by the Lakers on the defensive end to stop the Golden State's offensive juggernauts was especially praiseworthy.