Lakers get statement win in Game 3; lead the series 2-1

by Antonio Valle

The Lakers came out with a sense of urgency and got the win 127-97. With this win, LA now holds a 2-1 series lead. The Lakers looked like a different team out there, as four of their five starters finished in double figures.

D’Angelo Russell got things going in the 1st quarter as he scored the team’s first 11 points. Russell finished the game with 21 points.

Russell was not the only Laker who played well in this one. LeBron James and Anthony Davis were making plays all game. James finished the game with 21 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.

Davis played much better in Game 3 as he finished with a game-high 25 points, along with 13 rebounds and four blocks.

Lonnie Walker IV was also a big contributor off the bench for LA. He has been out of the rotation since about the trade deadline, but he has been waiting for his number to be called, and he showed up ready to play. Walker finished with 12 points, four rebounds, two steals and one block.

It seems like from now on; Walker will be a part of the rotation as he has taken minutes away from Malik Beasley and Troy Brown Jr. 

The 2nd quarter was the turning point of the game as the Lakers outscored the Warriors 36-18. The Lakers were running their fast break offense to perfection, as Darvin Ham said pre-game that this was an area that needed improvement. 

Along with the Lakers improving their fastbreak offense, their defense was outstanding from the beginning to the end of this game. LA forced the Warriors to commit 19 turnovers and had ten steals as a team. LeBron was proud of the Lakers' defensive effort in Game 3 and said postgame that “we’re one of the best defensive teams in the league.” 

Darvin Ham also said postgame, "This is gonna be a battle until the end. You can't rest on your laurels, they're the defending champions for a reason. We're thankful we got this one, but come Monday we're gonna have a dogfight on our hands."

Russell was asked postgame if he thought the Lakers would be in this position after the trade deadline, and he responded by saying that he at first didn’t know how the team would look, but with the bodies that were on the team, he knew this team could be successful.

The Lakers now will head into Game 4 with a 2-1 series lead, and the Warriors will come out strong knowing that they could potentially go back home down 3-1. LA needs to come out with the same energy that they did in Game 3 and not take their foot off the gas at any point during the game.

Crypto.com Arena has been rocking for these Laker home games, and it will be a great environment come Monday night. 

Leave a comment

Back to LAKERS NEWS