Lakers dominate Game 3 to take series lead
Cue the purple and gold confetti and tacos.
The Lakers bounced back from a blowout to rout the Golden State Warriors 127-97 at Crypto.com Arena in Game 3 on Saturday night.
Anthony Davis starred with 25 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots as the Lakers took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series.
LeBron James shook off a quiet first quarter in which he didn’t take a shot to finish with 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. D’Angelo Russell carried the Lakers early by scoring all of his 21 points in the first half.
In a return to their Game 1 plan, the Lakers controlled the game by getting to the free-throw line, where they went 28 for 37. The Warriors attempted just 17 free throws, making 12.
Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 23 points, but the defending champions struggled as Draymond Green spent most of the game in foul trouble. The primary defender on Davis in Game 2, Green had just two points in 23 minutes as Davis dominated.
On top of the win, the Lakers also got some rest for James and Davis, who played just 33 and 32 minutes, respectively, in the blowout. After resting all of the fourth quarter in Game 2, the star duo should be well-rested for Monday’s critical Game 4 at Crypto.com Arena.
Lakers dig deep in bench during fourth quarter
It’s all cosmetic at this point as the Lakers lead 112-82 with 5:13 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Tristan Thompson, Max Christie and Shaquille Harrison are among those on the court for the Lakers in garbage time.
Kim Kardashian, who is sitting courtside, eagerly captured video of Thompson’s entrance into the game.
Lakers, Warriors empty benches in another blowout
The Lakers are on the other side of a playoff blowout this time and lead 98-72 with 8:33 remaining.
On track for the Game 3 victory, Lakers coach Darvin Ham has pulled Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell and LeBron James. The Lakers have Dennis Schroder, Austin Reaves, Lonnie Walker IV, Rui Hachimura and Wenyen Gabriel on the court.
James finished with 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Russell had 21 points.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr took out most of his starters and gave Jonathan Kaminga his first minutes of the game.
Lakers cruising in fourth quarter
Back-to-back three-pointers from Austin Reaves and Dennis Schroder have the Lakers up 98-72 with 9:11 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Schroder has 12 points off the bench with three-of-six shooting from three-point range. Reaves’ three was his first of the night as he works through a bit of an offensive slump. He was three for 11 from the field in Game 2. He is two for eight tonight with 10 points, including five free throws.
Anthony Davis checked out early in the fourth after stuffing the stat sheet with 25 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, three steals and four blocked shots.
Lakers up big going into fourth quarter
The Lakers extended their lead to as many as 20 points in the third quarter and enter the fourth quarter with an 86-68 lead.
LeBron James, Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell each has 21 points. James had 11 points in the third quarter and thrilled fans by jumping over the front row while breaking up a pass in transition.
LeBron James shows his hustle
His old legs still have bounce.
LeBron James hurdled over a row of fans sitting on the baseline and ran up the stairs for about 10 rows of seats after he broke up a Warriors transition threat. Fans cheered loudly as James walked carefully back onto the court.
A few minutes later, James blocked a shot from Jordan Poole and was serenaded with “M-V-P” chants as he knocked down two free throws to put the Lakers up 82-66 with 2:07 remaining in the third quarter.
James has 19 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Andrew Wiggins dunks over Anthony Davis as Warriors trail in third
Andrew Wiggins threw down a monster dunk over Anthony Davis, but the Warriors still trail 71-59 with 5:45 remaining in the third quarter.
The electrifying play was one of two consecutive baskets for the Warriors — a rare feat this quarter — and the Lakers called a timeout to quell any potential run.
Wiggins has 16 points and nine rebounds.
Davis has 19 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots.
Free throws feeding Lakers lead
Draymond Green went to the bench after picking up his fifth foul with 6:54 to go in the third quarter.
Anthony Davis’ two free throws put the Lakers up 71-55. The Lakers have scored seven of their 12 points in the third quarter from the free-throw line. Davis is nine for 10 from the stripe and has 19 points with 10 rebounds.
Jarred Vanderbilt gave the Lakers a 17-point lead with 8:18 remaining in the third with two free throws.
Draymond Green in foul trouble as Lakers extend lead
Draymond Green picked up his fourth foul after an unsuccessful Warriors challenge with 9:27 remaining in the third quarter.
The Lakers are ahead 64-50 with Anthony Davis going to the foul line for two shots after Green’s foul.
While the Lakers have picked up their play since the midpoint of the second quarter, the Warriors are helping with their own miscues. The Warriors have 13 turnovers.
JaMychal Green missed a would-be wide-open dunk when the ball appeared to slip from his hand. After the Warriors got the offensive rebound, Andrew Wiggins then missed an open three-pointer.
Can Lakers hold this lead?
The Lakers rode into halftime on a 30-8 run, but the defending champions aren’t likely to go down easily. What will the Lakers do to keep this 11-point lead at home?
Anthony Davis has 16 points, seven rebounds and three assists while D’Angelo Russell went off for 21 points in the first half.
Anthony Davis’ buzzer-beater punctuates standout second quarter
Anthony Davis scooped a layup into the basket and jumped over the row of photographers at the halftime buzzer to give the Lakers a 59-48 lead going into the locker room.
The Lakers outscored the Warriors 36-18 in the second quarter, highlighted by a 22-2 run. The Warriors’ 11-point lead feels like a distant memory now.
Davis has 16 points and seven rebounds. D’Angelo Russell leads the Lakers with 21 points. LeBron James has 10 points, six rebounds and seven assists after not taking a shot in the first quarter.
Klay Thompson was called for an offensive foul with 23.1 seconds remaining in the second quarter, capping a 12-turnover half for the Warriors. The Warriors were also called for three technical fouls during the half and a defensive three-second violation that led to the Lakers’ final shot.
Stephen Curry leads the Warriors with 13 points and Thompson has scored 11.
Lakers surge to second-quarter lead
The Lakers are on a 22-2 run in the second quarter and lead 51-42 with 2:22 remaining until halftime.
A layup from D’Angelo Russell forced another timeout from the Warriors as Russell has 21 points. LeBron James assisted the basket and has seven dimes with nine points and six rebounds.
Draymond Green picks up third foul after a Lakers challenge
An offensive foul on Anthony Davis was changed to a foul on Draymond Green after a successful Lakers challenge that gave Green his third personal foul with 3:32 remaining in the second quarter.
Davis converted the two free throws to put the Lakers ahead 44-42.
Green also picked up a technical foul on the exchange, but Austin Reaves missed the technical free throw.
Lakers jump ahead as LeBron James heats up
LeBron James and Anthony Davis fueled a 13-0 run for the Lakers, who took a 42-40 lead with 4:23 remaining in the second quarter.
James knocked down a three-pointer to put the Lakers ahead for the first time in the second. He has seven points.
After Davis blocked a shot from Moses Moody, Moody was called a transition take foul that was upgraded to a flagrant foul. Moody grabbed at Davis’ leg while the Lakers star was beginning to run after getting off the ground.
Austin Reaves got to shoot the free throws and made both.
LeBron James is finally in the scoring column
LeBron James took his first shot of the game almost four minutes into the second quarter. He missed it. It took until the 6:32 mark of the quarter for him to get his first points, knocking down the first of two free throws before a timeout.
The Lakers trail 40-34 with 6:32 remaining in the second quarter. The Warriors were leading by 11, but turned the ball over twice in three possessions.
James has one points, six assists and four rebounds.
Anthony Davis has 12 points and four rebounds.
Lakers trail early in second quarter
A rare three-pointer from Lonnie Walker IV got the second quarter off to a good start for the Lakers, but the Warriors stretched their lead with four consecutive points.
The Warriors lead 34-26 with 8:47 to go in the second.
LeBron James still hasn’t taken a shot in 12 minutes on the court. Austin Reaves has missed all five of his shots.
During the timeout, LeBron James’ son Bronny was shown on the big screen while USC’s fight song played, celebrating the high school senior’s commitment to USC. USC men’s basketball coach Andy Enfield is also in attendance and was shown on the big screen.
Warriors finish first quarter on 13-2 run to take lead
The Warriors ended the first quarter on a 13-2 run to take a 30-23 lead.
Klay Thompson scored eight of those points for the Warriors in his return to Southern California. The lifelong Kobe Bryant disciple has 11 points, four rebounds and one steal.
Thompson gave the Warriors their first lead of the game with a three-pointer with 2:47 remaining in the first quarter. He and Jordan Poole alternated baskets for the Warriors, who capitalized on a brief rest for LeBron James. With James on the bench, the Warriors turned a three-point deficit into a four-point lead in three minutes.
James did not take a shot in the first quarter and has two rebounds and three assists. D’Angelo Russell leads the Lakers with 13 points and Anthony Davis has eight points with three rebounds.
Lonnie Walker IV made an early appearance off the bench during the first quarter. The Lakers guard played the entire fourth quarter in Game 2’s blowout loss, but had mostly fallen out of the rotation after the trade deadline.
Anthony Davis easing into game from free-throw line
After a disappointing Game 2 performance, Anthony Davis is scoring some early points from the free-throw line to put the Lakers up 20-17 with 4:05 remaining in the first quarter.
He has made all three of his free throws and has seven points, three rebounds and one blocked shot.
After hitting a corner three-pointer to bring the Warriors to within two, Andrew Wiggins appeared to tweak his ankle while tripping over a courtside fan’s foot.
D’Angelo Russell paces Lakers to early first-quarter lead
D’Angelo Russell has 13 points as the Lakers lead 17-12 with 5:38 remaining in the first quarter.
Anthony Davis, with four points, is the only other Laker who has scored. LeBron James hasn’t taken a shot. Meanwhile, four of the Warriors’ five starters have scored, led by five points from Stephen Curry.
Austin Reaves, who has struggled offensively this series, shot an airball on a three-point shot, which led to a three from Klay Thompson on the other end that pulled the Warriors to within one. Davis then scored on a mid-range shot off an assist from Russell.
Fully loaded
D’Angelo Russell has all of the Lakers’ points as they lead 11-6 with 7:39 to go in the first quarter.
He started with three three-pointers, added a two-point basket and nearly had an assist on a bounce pass to Anthony Davis, but the Lakers center was fouled hard while driving to the basket by Draymond Green.
It was reviewed as a potential flagrant foul but it was deemed a common foul.
Can the Lakers defend home court?
Hello from the rafters of Crypto.com Arena, this is your live blog driver Thuc Nhi Nguyen.
My colleagues Brad Turner, Andrew Greif, Helene Elliott and Dylan Hernandez are court level for Game 3 as the Lakers try to defend home court with a 1-1 record in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals.
The Warriors were met with loud boos as the starting lineup was announced as fans continue to fill the arena. The Lakers placed white “California state championship” T-shirts on every seat although only a small fraction of fans are actually wearing them.
JaMychal Green stays in Warriors’ starting lineup for Game 3
Although Warriors coach Steve Kerr said pregame that Kevon Looney is feeling much better after playing through an undisclosed illness during Game 2, JaMychal Green will get the starting nod again for Game 3.
Green had 15 points in the Warriors’ Game 2 victory in his second start of the season. The Warriors will also start Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins.
The Lakers are sticking with their same starting lineup of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Jarred Vanderbilt, Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell.
Bronny James makes college commitment: USC
One of the strangest, most-followed, yet secretive high school basketball recruiting journeys in recent memory is over. Bronny James is staying home.
After months of speculation, James announced Saturday on Instagram that he is committing to USC, just a few miles down the 110 Freeway from father LeBron’s James’ stomping grounds at Crypto.com Arena with the Lakers. It’s the next step toward the elder James’ expressed hope of playing in the NBA with his son.
After USC football’s rise to national power under coach Lincoln Riley and quarterback Caleb Williams, the young James’ arrival will help transform USC basketball into possibly the most-watched college basketball program in the country. His commitment completes a gem of a recruiting class for coach Andy Enfield that includes No. 1-ranked point guard Isaiah Collier and power forward Arrinten Page, from Marietta (Ga.) Wheeler as well as Charlotte (N.C.) Combine Academy guard Silas Demary Jr.
Bronny James, ranked the 33rd-best player in his class by 247Sports, was named a McDonald’s All-American after averaging 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals last season.
His top three schools were USC, Ohio State and Oregon. Each made sense for a different reason — USC was close to home, Ohio State was close to his birthplace and Oregon was close to Nike’s headquarters, which signed Bronny James to a name, image and likeness deal.
Anthony Davis was not a factor in Lakers’ Game 2 loss to Warriors
SAN FRANCISCO — As Moses Moody swung on the rim and after LeBron James stood flat-footed, the five Lakers heads on the court all dropped, eyes pointed to the floor. There were still 2.2 seconds left in the third quarter, but James caught the inbounds pass and dribbled out the clock.
There was no decision for Darvin Ham to make, no comeback to try and put together.
Down 30, the Lakers leader made it obvious.
They were done. And even with 12 more minutes to play, this game was over.
Officially, the Lakers lost 127-100, but it was finished way before that.
Anthony Davis, the two-way dominant force, didn’t have the juice at either end of the floor, as the Warriors stacked 40-plus points in back-to-back quarters to turn Game 2 into a blowout. Draymond Green guarded him and the Warriors’ smaller lineups made it almost impossible for the Lakers to get Davis the ball as he rolled to the basket.
Want Lakers vs. Warriors playoff tickets? No problem, as long as money is no object
Hollywood loves its stars, never more so than on a Saturday night. And, for a duo with star power, it would be difficult to beat LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
It would not be difficult to get tickets to Saturday night’s NBA playoff game between the Lakers and Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena.
It would, however, be expensive.
On Thursday, The Times checked three ticket sites, including one accessed through the Lakers’ team website.
Lakers defense had no answer for Klay Thompson, Warriors onslaught
SAN FRANCISCO — Klay Thompson had just knocked down his second three-pointer of the third quarter that forced the Lakers to call a timeout because the game was getting away from them as this Splash Brother was overwhelming Los Angeles in Game 2.
The Lakers never got a handle on Thompson, or on the three-point shooting wizardry of the Warriors, or of Golden State in general.
Thompson, however, was the driving force behind the Warriors’ sizzling three-point shooting, making eight of 11 with the three-ball a primary reason why the Lakers got torched, 127-100, Thursday night at Chase Center.
“These guys, they shoot the ball at an alarming rate, and their clip in which they make them is also alarming if you have to try to defend it,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “Many times in transition or different actions, you tend to have a late switch or early switch. You get cross-matched. No one guy is going to stop Steph Curry or Klay Thompson. It’s going to take an entire defensive unit.”