Anthony Davis leads Los Angeles Lakers’ defensive display to hold off Golden State Warriors
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Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (left) during the NBA Western Conference semi-finals in San Francisco, on May 2, 2023.
PHOTO: AFP
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SAN FRANCISCO – Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr hailed the Los Angeles Lakers’ defensive doggedness, as Anthony Davis scored 30 points and led a defensive masterclass to defeat the defending champions 117-112 on Tuesday.
The road win gave the Lakers a 1-0 lead in their National Basketball Association Western Conference play-off semi-final series.
The eagerly anticipated showdown between the two Californian glamour teams lived up to the billing as the Lakers held off a thrilling late Golden State rally to take a crucial early advantage in the best-of-seven series.
Said Kerr: “I thought AD had a great game. Obviously, he dominated and he blocked four shots and altered some others.
“That’s what this team have been doing now for the last few months. They have been one of the best defensive teams in the league for a reason and he’s a huge part of that.”
For LeBron James, what his Lakers team have been doing in recent months is dish out play-off-level basketball, as they scrambled to book their spot in the post-season via a late regular-season rally and then the play-in tournament.
He said: “We’ve been playing play-off basketball for about two months now just to punch our clock to be able to play right now in the post-season.
“We were very resilient tonight... We know how great they are on their home floor, so to withstand that, it’s another good step for our ball club.”
The Lakers appeared to be cruising to victory after opening up a 14-point lead with less than six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, following a clinical defensive performance at San Francisco’s Chase Centre.
But the Warriors came roaring back with a flurry of three-pointers and Stephen Curry knotted the score at 112-112 to complete a 14-0 Warriors run with 1min 38sec remaining.
Yet just when it looked as if the Warriors were building unstoppable momentum, the Lakers regrouped to snatch victory.
A D’Angelo Russell lay-up edged them back in front at 114-112 before a James free throw increased the Lakers’ lead to three.
Jordan Poole then missed a game-tying 27-foot three with 9.7 seconds left on the clock before the Lakers drew two free throws for German international Dennis Schroder to make the game safe.
“We know this team – they’re the defending champions,” Davis said. “No lead is safe against them. They can get hot at any moment.
“But this is just a mindset for our team, knowing we can beat this team, it’s a confidence booster for us.
“We’ve been able to get this one in Game 1, but we haven’t done anything yet.”
Davis finished with 30 points, 23 rebounds, five assists and four blocks while James chipped in with 22 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
Russell and Schroder added 19 points each while Austin Reaves finished with 10.
Curry led Golden State’s scoring with 27 points, including six threes, while Klay Thompson had 25, also with six from beyond the arc.
Thompson, whose Warriors were the last team to book their semi-final spot after a back-and-forth 4-3 win over the Sacramento Kings which ended on Sunday, said: “It was a quick turnaround but can’t dwell on it... So the morale is not low. We know we let one slip away.”
Game 2 takes place in San Francisco on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Jalen Brunson scored 30 points as the New York Knicks defeated the Miami Heat 111-105 to square their Eastern Conference play-off semi-final series at 1-1 on Tuesday.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis blocking a shot by Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins the NBA Western Conference semi-finals.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Brunson shot 10-of-19 from the field, including six from three-point range as the Knicks finally overpowered a gutsy Miami line-up playing without injured talisman Jimmy Butler.
A tense duel that saw the lead change hands 16 times was finally settled in the fourth quarter as the Knicks stitched together a 12-3 run midway through the period that included a Brunson three-pointer.
Brunson had berated himself after Sunday’s Game 1 loss, describing his own performance as “horrific” after missing all seven of his attempts from three-point range.
The 26-year-old playmaker was happier with his contribution on Tuesday.
“A little bit better,” Brunson said. “I’ve still got to be better on both sides of the ball. I’m happy we won. We can learn from the win, but we’ve got to continue to get better.” AFP
