SAN FRANCISCO — Within the dazzling matchup between the 2 biggest gamers of a era, LeBron James bought the higher of Steph Curry.
Curry went scoreless within the second half and completed with 13 factors on 4-for-17. James, taking part in off Anthony Davis, registered 25 factors, 12 assists and 5 rebounds.
Saturday evening’s nationally televised 118-108 loss pushes the Warriors (22-23) again beneath .500. Davis torched the shorthanded Warriors with 36 factors and 13 rebounds because the Lakers held a snug lead for the whole second half. Seven Warriors scored in double figures, but it surely was an inopportune time for Curry to have an off evening.
The final time these two groups met, on Christmas Day, Austin Reaves’ late layup lifted the Lakers over Golden State. Curry dropped 38, James countered with 31 in one of many signature video games of the yr.
They couldn’t fairly ship the identical theatrics within the sequel regardless of a promisingly aggressive forest half; neither group led by greater than six in a primary half with 14 lead adjustments.
The Lakers performed by way of Anthony Davis, permitting James to choose his spots. It’s a luxurious Curry doesn’t have, because the Warriors haven’t been in a position to put a second star subsequent to him. Warriors bigs Trayce Jackson-Davis and Kevon Looney made issues powerful for Davis within the submit and sealed him to negate his shot-blocking on the opposite finish, however Davis nonetheless racked up an enormous double-double. The Warriors definitely felt Draymond Inexperienced’s absence.
At 40, James is definitely not the defender he as soon as was. It was putting to see Warriors, like Andrew Wiggins and Gary Payton II, drive proper at him and rating. Late within the third quarter, Moses Moody blew by him alongside the baseline and completed a clean reverse layup.
Los Angeles is likely one of the lowest quantity 3-point capturing groups within the league and in addition struggles on the glass. The Warriors tried to choose at each areas.
The Warriors launched 17 extra 3s than the Lakers, tilting the maths sport of their favor. They began 4-for-8 however went by way of a 1-for-10 spell that prevented any probability of taking management within the first half.
Despite the fact that they generated clear appears to be like, the Warriors struggled to transform. When Quinten Submit drilled a nook 3 midway by way of the third quarter, the Warriors had been at 34.4% from deep.
The Lakers earned separation by attacking the rim and spraying to shooters within the corners. Max Christie hit a pair of 3s, one from every nook, and Gabe Vincent and Dalton Knecht added two. Within the interval, the Lakers went 4-for-6 from deep, happening an 8-0 run and main by as a lot as 12.
Submit — within the rotation for a 3rd straight sport — canned one other 3 from above the break a couple of minutes later. That got here off a Moody offensive board and drew the Warriors inside eight. On the horn, Andrew Wiggins drained a step-back 3 over James to enter the fourth down six.
Brandin Podziemski (17 factors, 5 assists), in his second sport again from an stomach pressure he says he’s nonetheless not 100% recovered from, helped the Warriors keep within the sport as Curry sat within the fourth quarter. When Curry returned for the ultimate 5:33, the Warriors trailed by 13.
Curry discovered Podziemski for a nook 3 and dished to Buddy Hield for an additional triple to drag the Warriors again inside single digits.
With 2:36 left, James reduce for an alley oop dunk on a baseline out of bounds go. Curry missed his eighth straight shot on the opposite finish, a sequence that took the life out of Chase Heart.
Golden State’s desperation full-court lure didn’t yield outcomes, and Kerr emptied his bench with 1:43 left. The Warriors had been solely down 13, however trailing by that a lot for thus lengthy made it really feel insurmountable.
