GOLDEN STATE @ LA LAKERS (LAL -3, 227.5)
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WARRIORS vs. LAKERS 5/8/23
The Los Angeles Lakers can take another big advantage in their Western Conference semifinal series against Golden State. With a commanding 127-97 victory in Game 3 as the action shifted to Los Angeles, the Lakers took a 2-1 series lead. The Lakers have a chance to get closer to their first Western Conference final since they won the 2020 NBA championship with a win in tonight’s Game 4.
LeBron James scored 21 points while Anthony Davis had 25 points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers on Saturday. With the game in hand, neither player played longer than two minutes in the fourth quarter. It was a huge turnaround from Game 2 when James had 23 but Davis scored just 11 points. In Game 3, Davis played with more confidence hitting 7-of-10 from the floor and hitting 11 of his 12 free throw attempts.
Davis, however, appeared to sustain a left rib cage injury after colliding with Draymond Green of the Warriors on Saturday. He continued to play, but he frequently looked like he was clutching at his side. Davis is not on the Lakers injury report.
Game 1 of the series saw the Lakers defeat Golden State in San Francisco, despite the Warriors mounting a powerful comeback. Before returning to San Francisco for Game 5 on Wednesday, Golden State will need to bounce back once more to tie the series.
Stephen Curry of the Warriors scored 23 points on 9-of-21 shooting, including 4-of-10 from three-point range, on Saturday. The Warriors took a 30-23 lead after the first quarter of Game 3 and appeared at ease. However, the Lakers went on a 22-2 run in the second quarter and led 59-48 at the break. In the second quarter, the Warriors were whistled for nine fouls. That led to the Lakers making 11-of-15 free throws,compared to just four makes in the opening quarter. In the second quarter, the Warriors were 1-of-1 from the line.
Andrew Wiggins scored 16 points for Golden State, and Klay Thompson added 15 on 3-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc. On Saturday, the Warriors made 13-of-44 long-range shots (29.5 percent), compared to 42-of-95 (44.2 percent) in the first two games of the series.
It was yet another road loss for Golden State. The Warriors have won on the road just 13 times in 46 games away from the Chase Center. With the Game 3 loss to Los Angeles, the Warriors are now 1-5 SU and ATS in their last six games against the Lakers. Golden State is also just 1-6 SU the last seven times they have faced the Lakers on the road.
The Lakers have won seven straight at home and they are 13-4 SU in their last 17 games. They are peaking at the right time. The Over has cashed in 12 of LA’s last 18 games. These are two of the top-scoring teams in the NBA. Golden State ranked second this season and the Lakers were eighth.
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Lakers vs Warriors
Pick: Andrew Wiggins O 5.5 Rebounds
Since Wiggins return to the floor, he has been a rebounding expert. He has grabbed at least 6 boards in 6 of his last 8 games. In this latest game, he pulled down nine boards which was a high in these playoffs. He was only averaging 5 boards a game during the regular season, which emphasizes that Steve Kerr is making sure he knows his role as a rebounder in these playoffs. It helps that Los Angeles is not much of a rebounding team, ranking 20th in opponents rebounding allowed.
FREE PICK: LEBRON JAMES UNDER 2.5 THREES
James has done a bit of everything for the Lakers this postseason, but the one thing he has not done is hit threes consistently. In Game 2, James hit three from beyond the arc for the first time since Game 1 against the Grizzlies. James shot a paltry 32.1 percent from long range during the regular season and he’s just 14-for-61 for the postseason. That’s an abysmal 22.9 percent. James is at his best facilitating the offense which means driving to the basket. He only attempted four threes last game.
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