Tag: Los Angeles Lakers

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) shoots against Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, right, during the second half of Game 2 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu May 4, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Jeremiah:

#1 It was a night of trying to solve the Golden State Warriors Klay Thompson for the Los Angeles Lakers defense but remained a mystery as Thompson led Golden State in scoring with 30 points.

#2 Thompson’s not so secret weapon was landing those eight 3 pointers which were devastating for the Lakers who lost wide 27 point margin 127-100.

#3 Stephen Curry who scored 50 points last Sunday in game 7 against Sacramento. Curry dropped in 20 points with 12 assists and the Lakers were keyed in on him and Thompson got dished off the ball.

#4 The Warriors set the NBA record for the most three pointers in the first two games of a playoff with 21. It’s the three point shot that hurt the Lakers and they had a tough time stopping that outside shot.

#5 The Lakers LeBron James led the Lakers with 23 points followed by Rui Hachimura who scored 21 but it just wasn’t enough for the Lakers. The Warriors defense also keyed in on Anthony Davis who was held to just 11 points.

Join Jeremiah for the Warrior podcasts throughout the NBA Playoffs on Friday nights at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Golden State Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo, center, and Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, right, reach for the ball during the first half of Game 2 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Thu May 4, 2023 (AP News photo)

Warriors Even Series 1-1 Demolishing Lakers 127-100

By Barbara Mason

The Golden State Warriors (1-1) came away with a huge 127-100 victory against the Los Angeles Lakers (1-1) on Thursday night . It was a must win for Golden State not wanting to fall behind the Lakers 0-2. Also not wanting to lose two games at Chase Center despite having a great start and a great finish in game one the Warriors lost in game one 117-112 and had a huge recovery in game 2.

In game one both teams were terrific. There were only eight turnovers for each team; so great ball protection for the Warriors and the Lakers. The Lakers dominated in the paint in that first game and Thursday night the Warriors were able to flip the script with their 27 point victory.

Game 2 recap: In the opening quarter, the Lakers finished with a 33-26 lead. LeBron James had a great start and as this game went on he would not get a whole lot of support from his starters. It was all on him.

In the second quarter the Warriors really took the Lakers to task dominating in the paint. With under two minutes left in the half, the Warriors had a 65-54 lead. Of concern were the three personal fouls called on Warrior guard Stephen Curry. Anthony Davis had three personals as well. Klay Thompson went off in the half finishing with 19 points. At the half the Warriors had a 67-56 lead.

LeBron finished the first half with 21 points and 23 for the game and Rui Hachimura had 14 off the bench and was four of four from downtown finished with 21 points in the contest. Thompson finished the half with 19 points the only Warrior in double digits. The turnaround from Davis was stunning in this game. He went from being one of the best players on the floor in game one to being pretty much completely ineffective in the first half of game two.

The Warriors put a hurt on the Lakers in the third quarter leading 110-80. Thompson continued his onslaught with 30 points, and was eight of 11 from beyond the arc. Davis continued to be a non- factor and the Warriors were outplaying the Lakers in the paint, from downtown and rebounding. They won the third quarter 43-24. Every starter for Golden State had double digits going into the fourth quarter.

The Golden State bench would finish the game delivering the win in true Warrior form. The Warriors had twice as many turnovers than in game one with 16. The Warriors finished this game with 21 shots from downtown to the Lakers ten. They were great in defensive transition and this game could not have gone better for the Warriors.

Although Curry only had 20 points, he had 12 assists. Draymond Green finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. “We realized that we let one go in game one and we’ve been having to bounce back all year and not a better group to do it with,” said Thompson after the game. “Our offense was flowing and our turnovers were low. We keep it simple, the flood gates will open,” Thompson who led with 30 points said.

Golden State will now travels down Southland for game three at Crypto.com Arena. That game will be played on Saturday evening with tipoff at 5:30 PM.

Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James (6) stands behind the Golden State Warriors (30) Stephen Curry during game 1 at Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue May 2, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James answered the question if LeBron has to carry the Lakers on his back and the answer at least in game 1 of the second round of the playoffs was a resounding no. LeBron was second in Los Angeles scoring with 22 points.

#2 David, talk about Anthony Davis who led the Lakers in scoring with 30 points he helped LeBron do some of the heavy lifting in the 117-112 five point win.

#3 Game two is Thursday night at Chase Center do you see the Warriors taking advantage of the home floor and putting game 1 behind them?

Join David for the Warriors podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) shoots while defended by Golden State Warriors forward Kevon Looney (5) during the first half at Chase Center in San Francisco on Tue May 2, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors hosted the Los Angeles Lakers in game one of the best of seven Western Conference Semi-Finals. The Lakers, fresh off a series win over the Memphis Grizzlies last Thursday, had fresher legs as the Warriors had to beat the Sacramento Kings last Sunday in Sacramento.

The big question was how the Warriors would attack the Lakers’ defense. The Warriors are an undersized team. Kevon Looney, at six feet nine inches, is the tallest Warrior. Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins are about six feet seven inches.

The Lakers, Anthony Davis, is four inches taller. LeBron James is the same height as Looney. Lakers’ coach Darvin Ham had Jarred Vanderbilt guard Stephen Curry. Curry is six inches shorter than Vanderbilt. The Warriors’ other scorers, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole, would have to make plays to stay competitive. In the end, it was the Lakers’ strategy that would prevail. The Lakers won the game 117-112.

The teams played a very entertaining first half. The Warriors could not stop Davis. Known as “the Brow,” Davis scored 23 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in the first half. LeBron had 12, and Dennis Schroder, coming off the bench, had 13.

Thompson paced the Warrior offense with 18. With Jarred Vanderbilt draped all over him, Curry managed to put 10 points on the board. Poole kicked in with 13. Wiggins had nine. The Lakers won the first half by one point, 65-64. The Warriors made 13 threes, the Lakers one. The Warriors had three free throws in the first half, the Lakers had 17 and made 16. The Warriors could not drive to the rim and get foul calls. They were shooting from downtown and were able to make threes.

The Warriors stayed close for about half of the third quarter. With the score tied at 73, the Lakers went on a 13-3 run to lead by ten, 86-76. The Warriors now had to play catch up. The Lakers finished the quarter leading 96-88. LA made four threes in the third quarter. While an eight-point disadvantage is not difficult to overcome, the Warriors needed to get Curry heated up in the fourth quarter. 

The Lakers continued to keep the Warriors from scoring in the paint. Davis was a force at the rim. The Lakers increased the lead to 14, 112-98. The Warriors went on an 11-0 run to close within three, 112-109. Curry, Thompson, and Poole led the charge. The fans were on their feet as there was hope. Curry then hit another three to tie the score 112-112. The Lakers did not fold.

Game Notes: The Lakers now own home-court advantage. The Lakers will have three home games, the Warriors three. If the Warriors are going to win the series, they will have to win one in LA and the three left at the Chase Center. It will take work. 

Curry led the Warriors with 27 points, Thompson had 25, Poole had 21, and Wiggins had 15. Looney had his fourth game in the playoffs with over 20 rebounds. Kevon scored ten points and had 23 rebounds and five assists.

Looney had to battle Davis the entire game but came through for the Warriors. The Warriors made 21 threes. They had six free throws and made five. The Lakers went to the line 29 times and made 25. The 20-point differential won the game for LA. 

Davis had a monster game with 30 points and 23 rebounds. LeBron had a double-double with 22 points and 11 boards. As a former Warrior, D’Angelo Russell finished with 19, as did Dennis Schroder. Austin Reaves finished with ten points. Reaves made two threes in the third quarter to help propel the Lakers into the lead in the third quarter. Jarred Vanderbilt had eight.

The Lakers and Warriors will play game two of the series Thursday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 6 pm and will be televised on ESPN.

Look whose back this was Stephen Curry’s first return since his leg injury after missing 11 games. Here is Curry against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Sun Mar 5, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with Barbara:

#1 The Warriors had a terrific home stand and tested their road legs after struggling defensively all season on the road. Sunday’s performance didn’t enhance their road record dropping the contest to the Lakers 113-105.

#2 Golden State will welcomed Stephen Curry back while still awaiting the return of Andrew Wiggins. The Lakers were without LeBron James who suffered a right foot tendon injury February 26 against the Dallas Mavericks and will more than likely be lost to the team for much of this month.

#3 The final quarter of this game was tight and was tied with 5:16 left in regulation 91-91. Golden State had some opportunities but suffered far too many empty possessions which was making a huge difference in this game. 

#4 The crazy road losses continue and this team needs to figure this out with a lot of games coming up away from Chase and time running out on the season.

#5 Tuesday night the Warriors will take on the Thunder in Oklahoma City. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM. Another road game do you find it that the Warriors can struggle in OKC too?

Join Barbara for the Warriors podcasts Mondays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis, bottom, is defended by Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green during the second half at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sun Mar 5, 2023 (AP News photo)

Warriors Road Woes Continue Losing To Lakers 113-105

By Barbara Mason

Coming off a five-game winning streak, the Golden State Warriors (34-30) took on the Los Angeles Lakers (30-34) at crypto.com Arena. The Warriors had a terrific home stand and tested their road legs after struggling defensively all season on the road. Sunday’s performance didn’t enhance their road record dropping the contest to the Lakers 113-105.

Golden State welcomed Stephen Curry back while still awaiting the return of Andrew Wiggins. The Lakers were without LeBron James who suffered a right foot tendon injury February 26 against the Dallas Mavericks and will more than likely be lost to the team for much of this month.

The first quarter was all Lakers and next to nothing for the Warriors. The Lakers Anthony Davis had a terrific start in this game with 19 points. The Warriors offense was struggling with the only points from the starting five coming from Klay Thompson with nine and off the bench Jonathan Kuminga and JaMychal Green with eight points collectively. The Warriors had four turnovers in the quarter, three of them from traveling. The Lakers led 33-18 after the first 12 minutes crushing Golden State. Curry, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney and Donte DiVincenzo all came up empty.

After trailing by as much as 20 points in the first quarter, the Warriors started to come around. They had trimmed the Laker lead to six points in the opening minutes of the second quarter 35-29.

The Warriors kept chipping away, and at 5:34 left in the first half had pulled to within one point 41-40. The Lakers went on a run extending their lead to ten points but the Warriors fought back and trailed 55-54 at the half. Golden State had an exceptional second quarter winning it 36-22.

Curry hit his first shots of the game in the second quarter finishing with eight points. Klay Thompson had 15 points in the first half and Jordan Poole had ten points off the bench. The Warriors had all the momentum going in this game as they headed into the third quarter.

The Warriors fell off a bit losing much of the momentum they had garnered in the second quarter. The Lakers won the quarter 23-18 and led going into the fourth 78-72.

The final quarter of this game was tight and was tied with 5:16 left in regulation 91-91. Golden State had some opportunities but suffered far too many empty possessions which was making a huge difference in this game. With two minutes left in the game two points separated the two teams 103-101. With 48.9 left on the clock Anthony Davis orchestrated the final blow with a 5-foot jump shot to give the Lakers a 109-101.

The slow start in this game for Golden State was one of the deciding factors in this loss. Empty possessions also hurt the team. Despite a quiet first quarter, Curry really picked it up finishing with 27 points. Thompson had 22 points. The crazy road losses continue and this team needs to figure this out with a lot of games coming up away from Chase and time running out on the season.

The terrific game from the Lakers Davis was a huge factor in this Los Angeles win as they fight to even make the playoffs. He had 39 points and was unstoppable helping his team win despite the absence of LeBron and D’Angelo Russell.

Tuesday night the Warriors will take on the Thunder in Oklahoma City. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

The Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James wasn’t blowing smoke as he and the Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Thu Feb 23, 2023 (AP News photo)

On the Warriors podcast with David:

#1 Golden State needed to turn their defense around, protect the ball and make the most of every possession tried as they may the Lakers came away with a 124-111 win against Golden State at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

#2 The team will still be without Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins will also be out for personal reasons with no return date right now.

#3 After the first 12 minutes, the Warriors were trailing 31-23. While Golden State did not get the hot start that they were looking for, they did get a decent start. They needed to be better in transition and protect the ball.

Join David Zizmor for the Golden State Warrior podcasts each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, center, shoots as Golden State Warriors forward Kevon Looney, right, defends during the first half at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Thu Feb 23, 2023 (AP News photo)

Lakers Bulldoze Warriors 124-111

By Barbara Mason

Thursday night the Golden State Warriors (29-30) took on the Los Angeles Lakers (28-32) at Crypto. com Arena. With only 24 games left in the regular season, this was a must win for the Warriors as is every game going forward. Golden State needed to turn their defense around, protect the ball and make the most of every possession tried as they may the Lakers came away with a 124-111 win against Golden State at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The team will still be without Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins will also be out for personal reasons with no return date right now.

After the first 12 minutes, the Warriors were trailing 31-23. While Golden State did not get the hot start that they were looking for, they did get a decent start. They needed to be better in transition and protect the ball.

WIth 4:36 left in the second quarter the Lakers took a 51-38 lead, their largest of the game. The Warriors were having trouble getting clean looks. The Laker defense was on point forcing Golden State to take some ill-advised shots. The Warriors played their best basketball in the final two minutes of the half.

They trailed 59-56 after having trailed by fourteen points in the quarter. Jordan Poole who had a slow start hit a couple of three’s in the later minutes of the second quarter and finished the half with 15 points, the high score for the Warriors.

The Lakers quickly extended the three point lead they had at the half. They were destroying the Warriors in transition and with 6:47 left in the third quarter had their largest lead of the game 79-63. Despite a very quiet night for LeBron James the Lakers led after three quarters 95-80.

The Lakers continued to build on their lead in the fourth quarter and with ten minutes left in the game had a 20 point lead 102-82. The Warriors could not buy a basket in this final quarter and the Lakers continued to pound Golden State. The Warriors had trailed by 28 and had cut the deficit in half but it was too little too late.

Klay Thompson had the high score for the Warriors with 22 points and off the bench Ty Jerome finished with 20 points. Once again the Warriors defense fell short. Los Angeles outplayed them offensively and defensively.

The high score for the Lakers was Malik Beasley with 25 points. The Los Angeles bench had a great night with 68 points collectively.

After dropping their first game after the All-Star game, the Warriors now have a chance to grab some wins playing their next five game at Chase Center. Friday night the Warriors will take on the Houston Rockets in the first game of this homestand. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 PM.