The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors opened their second-round series with a 117-112 thriller. Sadly, Game 2 wasn't quite as exciting. While the Lakers led after one quarter, the Warriors came back to demolish them in the final three frames. Golden State ultimately won 127-100 after scoring 84 combined points in the second and third quarters.
Now the venue shifts. The Warriors, who went 33-8 at home during the regular season, will now have to win at least once in Los Angeles, where the Lakers are undefeated this postseason. That might prove problematic, as the Warriors went 11-30 on the road during the regular season. Here's how you can tune in to their attempt to regain control of this series in Game 3 on Saturday.
(7) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Golden State Warriors
- Date: Saturday, May 6 | Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Crypto.com Arena -- Los Angeles, California
- TV channel: ABC | Live stream: fubo (try for free)
- Odds: Lakers -3; O/U 227 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
Lakers: Will the real Anthony Davis please stand up? The star big man destroyed the Warriors for 30 points and 23 rebounds in Game 1. He was invisible in the Game 2 loss, scoring 11 points and picking up just seven rebounds. Draymond Green deserves plenty of credit for his defense, but Davis has battled and beaten Green in the past. But he's been remarkably inconsistent this postseason, scoring 16 or fewer points four times in the eight games the Lakers have played. The Lakers need Game 1 Davis three more times to win this series. Can he deliver?
Warriors: Steve Kerr made a brilliant adjustment in Game 2 by starting JaMychal Green over Kevon Looney. It allowed him to add a bit of spacing to the floor without sacrificing the size starting Jordan Poole would have. Green couldn't get on the floor against Sacramento because of their speedy guards, but he had a safe hiding spot in Jarred Vanderbilt in this series. How will the Lakers respond to that move? Could they swap Vanderbilt out of the starting lineup in favor of their other Curry defender, Dennis Schroder? Or will Darvin Ham find some other way to attack Green in Game 3?
Prediction
Ultimately, the Lakers had a successful trip to San Francisco in spite of their Game 2 loss. They stole home-court advantage in the series and got a look at Golden State's first batch of adjustments before the series moved. Now they're in the same position they were in against Memphis: win their home games and advance. They destroyed the Grizzlies in Los Angeles. Until the Warriors beat them on their home floor, the Lakers should be favored in Los Angeles. The Pick: Lakers -3