Lakers close out Warriors in dominant fashion; advance to Conference Finals

by Ben Cooper

The Lakers were able to close out the defending champion Warriors and now advance to the Western Conference Finals. 

LA came out on fire early, taking a 17-point lead early. Golden State battled back, but the Lakers were able to close it out in the second half.

It was a great all-around performance from the Lakers as they came to play. LeBron James led the way with his best game of the playoffs. James finished with 30 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and a block. He shot 10-14 from the field and 2-3 from three.

James made the right play throughout the game. He was aggressive and attacked when he needed to, but he also found open teammates.

Anthony Davis showed up as well, with 17 points, 20 rebounds, two steals and two blocks. D’Angelo Russell contributed 19 points, while Austin Reaves had 23 points, five rebounds, and six assists. Reaves also hit an impressive half-court shot at the end of the first half.

Dennis Schroder played an excellent first half, with solid defense on Stephen Curry. However, Schroder was ejected early in the third quarter after getting into trash talk with Draymond Green.

It was an impressive feat to take down the Warriors as Golden State had not lost a playoff series in the Western Conference while Steve Kerr has been head coach. Kerr has been Golden State’s head coach since the 2014-15 season.

Curry did his best for the Warriors with 32 points, but LA forced him into tough shots. He took 28 shots to get those 32 points. Klay Thompson did not play well in this series, and that continued in Game 6. Thompson finished with eight points on 3-19 shooting and 2-12 from three.

The Lakers' defense throughout the series was imposing and helped them win the series. 

LA started the season 2-10 and will now take on the Denver Nuggets with a chance to advance to the NBA Finals. The new roster after the trade deadline has been elite, and the Lakers will look to ride their momentum and keep it rolling against the Nuggets.

Head coach Darvin Ham said postgame, "It's been a h*** of a ride. I hope it never ends."

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