Looking at the final score, with the Los Angeles Lakers crushing the Golden State Warriors 127 to 97, one would never guess the losing team started the game hot, winning the first quarter by seven points. That opening frame was the highlight for Dub Nation in Game 3, with the Lakers cruising to an easy victory that all started with a crucial second-quarter turnaround, where the Warriors were outscored 36-18.
It wasn’t LeBron James who sparked the winning effort. He didn’t even take a shot in the first quarter for the first time in his NBA playoff career. A resume that spans 275 postseason appearances.
Instead, it was trade deadline acquisition D’Angelo Russell who came in hot, scoring the team’s first 11 points of the ballgame. D-Lo would eventually cool off a bit as others got going, but the Lakers point guard finished with 21 points, shooting 8-of-13 from the floor and 5-of-8 from 3-point range.
Yet, the performance of James and Anthony Davis can’t be forgotten.
Davis led the game with 25 points while also hauling in a game-high 13 rebounds, collecting four blocks and three steals in a complete effort on both ends of the floor. He’d miss just three shots all night.
Then there was James, who earlier in the day saw his son Bronny James commit to play basketball for the USC Trojans. LeBron may not have taken a shot until the second quarter, but he made his presence felt, by dropping in 21 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.
The star trio combined for 67 of the team’s 127 points, with the Lakers clearing out the bench by the end of the blowout. Game 4 stays home on Monday for the Lakers as they host the Warriors at Crypto.com Arena, with L.A. up 2-1.