It was a classic scene in the Crpto.com arena tonight as LeBron James and Stephen Curry faced off in the latest chapter of their epic rivalry. With just two games separating the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers coming into the game, we knew this was going to be an intense showdown and that’s exactly how it turned out.
The score was nearly identical through the first 24 minutes of action, with both teams going back and forth until the halftime buzzer. It wasn’t until the third quarter that the Lakers started to pick up steam to take a 6-point lead into the fourth quarter on the road. The Lakers ended up winning the game by 10 (118-108) to move up to 25-18 this season.
Anthony Davis went off in this game with 36 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists on 13-23 shooting. LeBron James put up 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 12 assists on 12-25 shooting. Meanwhile, Austin Reaves dropped 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists in 39 minutes.
For the Warriors, Stephen Curry had a rough night with just 13 points, 1 rebound, and 9 assists on 4-17 shooting. Andrew Wiggins had 20 points 6 rebounds, and 3 assists while Brandin Podziemski contributed 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists on 6-10 shooting.
LeBron James has been on the wrong end of the Warriors’ runs before but tonight it was his team that came out with an impressive victory. Besides the usual contributions from LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers thrived in this game due to several factors that prove they can be a real threat in the West this year.
Dominant Performance For Championship Duo
LeBron James and Anthony Davis are putting pressure on the Lakers to make another move before the deadline, and their latest performance is the biggest argument for why the team should do everything they can to improve the supporting cast.
The duo was absolutely dominant tonight, starting with Anthony Davis who went off for 36 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals on 13-23 shooting from the field. With a lack of size in the front court, the Warriors had no answers for AD, who completely bullied them in the paint all night long.
LeBron James did not provide the same amount of scoring but he was a key playmaker in the game with 12 assists in 35 minutes to go along with. 25 points and 5 rebounds. His leadership helped the Lakers close the game down the stretch and avoid a collapse in the fourth quarter that might have cost them the game.
New Starting Lineup Was Successful
Dorian Finney-Smith has only been a Laker for 10 games but he’s already a starter in JJ Redick’s rotation. Tonight, with. Rui Hacimura out of the lineup, Dorian joined the starting unit tonight and held his own with 8 points and 3 rebounds on 75.0% shooting.
While his stats were rather unimpressive, Finney-Smith made an impact with his presence as a shooter, which helped stretch the floor and create space for others like James, Davis, and Austin Reaves. DFS was also a team-high +21 on the court, proving he was a good fit with the starters.
The Lakers have tried multiple different lineups this season but JJ Redick may have found his permanent rotation with Austin Reaves, Max Christie, Dorian Finney-Smith, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis. With a nice mix of offensive and defensive versatility, the new-look Lakers are a tough team to beat right now and might be able to make some noise if they can stay healthy and continue building up their chemistry.
Stephen Curry Went Scoreless In The Second Half
The Lakers held the Warriors to 46.1% shooting tonight and their problems were not limited to one player alone. But the key to victory was containing Stephen Curry, who had one of his worst games of the season on Saturday.
In 32 minutes in this game, Steph finished with 13 points, 9 assists, and 1 rebound on 23.5% shooting (4-17 FG). Curry went just 2-9 from three and was held to zero points in the entire second half. It was one of the worst shooting performances of Curry’s career.
With their superstar struggling so badly, the Warriors struggled to keep up with the Lakers, who received almost no resistance from the Warriors’ defense. The entire Warriors backcourt was sub-par tonight with a combined 23 points on 7-26 shooting.
In one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the season, fans were hoping for a more exciting finish between the two NBA icons. Instead, in what could be one of the last meetings between James and Curry, the Lakers dominated at every turn and shut the Warriors down to a devastating degree.
The next game for the Lakers isn’t until Monday, January 27th, against the Hornets at Spectrum Center. After that, they head to Philadelphia for a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center at 7:30 PM EST. Finally, they play the Washington Wizards on Thursday, January 30th at Capital One Arena at 7:00 PM EST.
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