The Los Angeles Lakers will try if their advantage in the Western Conference semifinal series will last this time.
Injury Update Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors
The Lakers claimed a 2-1 series lead Saturday with a 127-97 win in Game 3 as the action moved to Los Angeles.
With another home game on Monday, the Lakers have a chance to go to their first Western Conference final since they were NBA champions in 2020.
On Saturday, Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 25 points and 13 rebounds, while LeBron James chipped in with 21 points. With the game already decided, neither player played more than two minutes in the fourth quarter.
In Game 2, Davis had 11 points while James had 23. In Game 3, Davis was more forceful, hitting 7 of 10 from the floor and earning enough fouls to go 11 of 12 from the line. In Game 2, he shot 5 of 11 from the field and attempted only one free throw.
However, Davis seemed to have a left rib cage injury after collapsing on the Warriors’ Draymond Green in the first half on Saturday. He stayed in the game, although he appeared to grasp at his side frequently. Nonetheless, he appeared to be more than ready to take the floor for Game 4.
James (foot) is listed as probable for Monday’s Game 4 against the Warriors.
This year’s playoffs have been littered with probable designations for James, but his run of 274 straight playoff games played does not appear to be in threat.
James and the Lakers will aim to build on their good showing in Game 3.
The Lakers won Game 1 against Golden State, but the Warriors responded with a thunderous victory. Golden State will need to rebound once more to even the series before returning to San Francisco for Game 5 on Wednesday.
- Read also: LeBron James injury status of The Lakers
On Saturday, Stephen Curry scored 23 points on 9-of-21 shooting (including 4-of-10 from 3-point range).
Curry had a playoff-high 12 assists in Game 2, and his contributions as a ball distributor and shooting decoy were crucial in the 27-point win.
However, Curry only had three assists in Game 3, and the entire team suffered as a result.
The Lakers have developed as one of the league’s finest defensive teams in recent weeks, and their ability to keep Curry on his toes will be crucial as the Warriors attempt to tie the series on the road.
The Warriors seemed at ease early in Game 3, leading 30-23 after one quarter. However, the Lakers went on a 22-2 run in the second quarter and lead 59-48 at halftime. In the second half, Los Angeles never trailed.
The Warriors were tagged for four fouls in the first quarter, but nine in the second, when the Lakers shot 11 of 15 from the free-throw line. In the second quarter, the Warriors were 1 for 1 from the foul line.
Golden State’s Andrew Wiggins had 16 points, while Klay Thompson had 15 points on 3-of-9 3-point shooting. After hitting 42 of 95 (44.2 percent) from long range in the first two games of the series, the Warriors hit 13 of 44 (29.5 percent) on Saturday.
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Injury Report Warriors:
| PLAYER | INJURY | STATUS |
| Patrick Baldwin Jr. | Toe | Expected to be out until at least May 10 |
| Andre Iguodala | Wrist | Expected to be out until at least May 14 |
| Ryan Rollins | Foot | Out for the season |
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Injury Report Lakers:
| PLAYER | INJURY | STATUS |
| LeBron James | Foot | Game Time Decision |
| Mo Bamba | Ankle | Game Time Decision |
| Anthony Davis | Foot | Game Time Decision |
