Lakers falter in Game 2 loss to Warriors
San Francisco — The Lakers' momentum is halted after a 127-100 Game 2 loss to the Golden State Warriors to split the series at 1-1 heading back to Los Angeles.
The lineup to start the 4th quarter consisted of three players who didn't see a single minute in Game 1: Tristian Thompson, Malik Beasley, and Lonnie Walker. After a devastating Warriors run to end the third quarter with a 30-point lead, the game ended early with one quarter left.
The Lakers were outscored 60-44 in the second half despite the Warriors committing 15 turnovers and 23 fouls. The Lakers fell short in three-point shooting, connecting on only ten threes at a 29.4% rate on 38 shots, while the Warriors buried 21 threes on 50% shooting, 21-for-42.
“I fully expect our team to respond (to this loss) the right way," said head coach Darvin Ham.
After an explosive 30-point performance in Game 1, Anthony Davis' offense sputtered in Game 2, with a troubled shooting night that saw him score just 11 points. Davis shot 5-for-11 from the floor with seven rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in 32 minutes.
“I took all the same shots I took in Game 1. I just missed them. Elbow jumpers, pocket passes to the floater,” said Davis.
Most of the Lakers' offense throughout came from LeBron James and Rui Hachimura, with the pair combining for 44 points.
LeBron started hot with a 21-point start in the first half but was only able to score just two the rest of the way to finish with an early go to the bench in an already-finished game.
LeBron finished with 23 points on 10-of-18 shooting while notching seven rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes.
Despite the Lakers’ tough night on the defensive end, LeBron James was confident they could be better, crediting the Warriors and the Lakers' defense.
“We’re still the best defensive team in the league, if not one of them,” said LeBron.
Hachimura finished second on the team with 21 points in 22 minutes, going 57.1% on 8-of-14 shooting.
Game 3’s winner will be a huge deciding factor in this series as they head back to Los Angeles on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. on ABC.
