The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors opened their series in the second round with a 117-112 thriller. Unfortunately, Game 2 wasn’t that exciting. While the Lakers led after a quarter, the Warriors came back to demolish them in the final three frames. Golden State went on to win 127-100 after a combined 84 points in the second and third quarters.
Now the location is shifting. The Warriors, who went 33-8 at home during the regular season, will now have to win at least once in Los Angeles, where the Lakers are undefeated this postseason. That could prove problematic as the Warriors went 11-30 during the regular season. Here’s how to tune into their effort to regain control of this series in Game 3 on Saturday.
- Date: Saturday May 6 | Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Place: Crypto.com Arena — Los Angeles, California
- TV channel: ABC | Live stream: fubo (free trial)
- Chances: Lakers-3; O/U 227 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
Lakers: Will the real Anthony Davis please stand up? The big star destroyed the Warriors for 30 points and 23 rebounds in Game 1. He was invisible in the Game 2 loss, scoring 11 points and grabbing just seven rebounds. Draymond Green deserves a lot of credit for his defense, but Davis has fought and defeated Green in the past. But he’s been remarkably inconsistent this postseason, scoring 16 or fewer points four times in the eight games the Lakers have played. The Lakers need Game 1 Davis three more times to win this series. Can he deliver?
warriors: Steve Kerr made a brilliant adjustment in Game 2 by starting JaMychal Green over Kevon Looney. It allowed him to add some space to the floor without sacrificing the size Jordan Poole would have. Green couldn’t get on the ground against Sacramento because of their fast guards, but he had safe hiding place in Jarred Vanderbilt in this series. How will the Lakers react to that move? Could they trade Vanderbilt out of the starting lineup in favor of their other Curry defender, Dennis Schroder? Or will Darvin Ham find another way to attack Green in Game 3?
Prediction
In the end, the Lakers had a successful trip to San Francisco despite their Game 2 loss. They stole home field advantage in the series and got a look at Golden State’s first set of adaptations before the series moved. Now they are in the same position they were against Memphis: win their home games and go through. They destroyed the Grizzlies in Los Angeles. Until the Warriors beat them on their home floor, the Lakers should be preferred in Los Angeles. The choice: Lakers -3