What a playoff matchup. If not for both team’s nursing overlapping injuries and some learning curves with their role players, the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors would’ve met in the Western Conference Finals. But this second-round matchup will do.
The Lakers finished with a 117-112 win over the Warriors to steal Game 1 of their playoff series on the road, providing fans of both sides with a thrilling show.
Lakers guard Dennis Schroder made a pair of free throws to secure the victory. That happened after the Lakers grabbed the game’s final rebound after Warriors guard Jordan Poole missed a deep, but open 3-pointer while the Lakers held a 115-112 lead. On the two previous plays, Lakers forward Anthony Davis also made consecutive stops to cement an otherwise strong effort.
Below are five takeaways from Game 1 at the Chase Center.
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Anthony Davis dominated, but in a different way
Unlike in past regular-season and playoff games, Davis didn’t allow the opponent’s scouting report dictate how he could play. The Warriors swarmed him with double teams in the post. It didn’t matter. Davis still finished with 30 points while shooting 11-for-19 from the field and 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, along with 23 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks.
In the first half alone, he had 23 points and 11 rebounds while going 9-for-10 from the field and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line, along with two blocks. This game encapsulated how Davis’ ferocity can dictate how well he plays far more than if his teammates make shots or an opponent defends him.
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Game 7 Stephen Curry didn’t show up vs Lakers
Ok, so maybe it is unrealistic for Curry to post two consecutive 50-point games in a playoff series. But for Curry to finish with 27 points while 10-for-24 from the field and 6-for-13 from deep?
Unsurprisingly, the Lakers focused on Curry defensively by throwing various defenders at him, including Jarred Vanderbilt, Schroder, and Austin Reaves. Surprisingly, Curry didn’t really find his groove, even scoreless in the second quarter. For whatever reason, the Warriors abstained from running too much pick-and-roll to let him get loose. While Curry rallied in the fourth quarter and appeared himself again, it was too late.
The Warriors lost for reasons beyond Curry’s off night. He will bounce back likely as early as Game 2. But even when accounting for the Lakers’ defensive attention on him, it seemed puzzling Curry and the Warriors didn’t put more effort into getting him more open looks.
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Live by the 3, die by the 3
Through four NBA championship runs in six Finals appearances, the Warriors have established themselves as an elite 3-point shooting team. Since dealing Russell Westbrook to address various positional needs before the trade deadline, the Lakers theoretically had enough lasers.
But in reality, the Warriors and Lakers showed a wide difference from distance. The Warriors went 21-for-53 from deep, while the Lakers went only 6-for-25 from 3-point range. The Warriors had the usual suspects connecting from long distance, including Curry (6-for-13) and Thompson (6-for-16). But Golden State received additional help from Jordan Poole (6-for-11) and JaMychal Green (2-for-4). Meanwhile, the Lakers’ LeBron James (1-for-8) and D’Angelo Russell (1-for-5) struggled to get anything going from the perimeter.
Despite a wide difference between the Warriors (13-for-30) and the Lakers (1-for-8) from deep in the first half, the Lakers still held a 65-64 halftime lead because of Davis’ dominance. The Lakers also showed some improvement in the second half from 3 (5-for-17), while the Warriors regressed (8-for-22). The Lakers survived this one, but they likely need to close that 3-point shooting gap in future games.
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The Lakers and Warriors’ wide free-throw discrepancy
The numbers don’t lie. Consider that the Lakers went 25-for-29 from the free-throw line, while the Warriors went 5-for-6 from the stripe. As for the reasons? You will likely hear different explanations.
The Lakers will likely say they had more attempts because they attacked the basket more, while the Warriors’ offense mostly centered on 3s. The Warriors will likely counter that officials blew a tight whistle and didn’t allow for any physicality. Regardless, it was a huge game-changer for Poole (five) and Draymond Green (four) to fall into foul trouble in a potentially tone-setting Game 1.
Rest vs. rust
Initially, the Lakers looked rusty after last playing on Friday against Memphis in Game 6 of their first-round series. Eventually, the Lakers looked rejuvenated. Initially, the Warriors had a strong rhythm after last playing on Sunday against Sacramento in Game 7 of their first-round series. Eventually, the Warriors looked fatigued.
How that element plays out in the first game of a playoff series always remains unpredictable. Considering both teams will now play every other night, this factor should not be as prevalent moving forward. That is assuming, of course, that neither team experiences a significant injury.
