The Los Angeles Lakers accomplished their task of winning one of the two home games in the conference’s semifinal series. They needed to win the game at home to continue their advantage over Golden State Warriors. And as wished, they completely dominated the defending champs with different strategies and a high scoreline of 127-97. Coach Darvin Ham’s team also managed to keep Steph Curry quiet, which kept the Warriors’ scoreline low. Moreover, Curry’s side was also taken by shock as they were not able to decipher the Lakers’ game plan.
The 38-year-old Lakers star is often known for his ability to judge the game and adapt to different situations. His high basketball IQ helps him overcome the problems his team faces on the court. James used his intelligence to perplex his opponents last night, causing the Warriors all sorts of problems on the court. His movement seemed almost encryption because Steph Curry was completely baffled by his playing style. Not just Curry. The Lakers’ star came in like a wrecking ball for every Warriors player because of his first-quarter performance. Apparently, the 18-time All-star, who is known for his offensive threats, only took a single shot. Keep reading to know more about his game to stop the Warriors at Crypto Arena.
LA Take A 2-1 Lead
Coach Darvin Ham announced for everyone to know that he will be making some changes for game 3 in the series. And his changes were fairly visible, especially the change in LeBron’s role. Everyone is aware that James is adapting to a new style of play which would enable him to conserve more energy. This tactical change made him a facilitator of the game at the back, confusing the Warriors all over the court. But this also allowed him to save energy to dominate the former champions in the second half of the game.
A win with 30 point lead does not just happen by luck or fluke in the NBA postseason. This time of the season is the most intense, where teams give everything to win every series to reach finals. In his recent podcast, Draymond Green admitted that Stephen could not decipher LeBron’s gameplay. Even though he is one of the sharpest superstars in the NBA, he had a tough time seeing LeBron’s passive attacks. It was an effective plan, as it eventually allowed him to drop 21 points, eight assists, and eight rebounds.
“Lakers Outplayed Us” Klay Thompson
"We got punked tonight."
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 7, 2023
— Klay on tonight's loss pic.twitter.com/SJyHElfs8c
Klay Thompson is one player who did not have any of his on-court frustration in the postgame interview. “We got punked tonight,” accepted Klay in the postgame interview. He also accepted the fact that the Lakers outclassed them in every aspect of the game, making them look like amateurs on the court.
Only in the first quarter were the Warriors able to uphold their dominant run of 22-2. But that run did not last long, as the Lakers stamped all over them during the rest of the game. At last, he said that Monday would be another opportunity for them to assert their domination. And this time, they would want to step onto the court with much more coordination to win the game.