After a disappointing Game 2 loss to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals, the Los Angeles Lakers are focused on bouncing back in Game 3.
Star player Anthony Davis, who had a lackluster performance in the last game, has pledged to improve his game and make more shots. Davis scored only 11 points and had seven rebounds in Game 2 after an impressive 30-point, 23-rebound performance in Game 1.
Davis claims that he took the same shots in both games but missed them in Game 2. He admitted to being overly passive and not attacking the rim as much as he should have. The Lakers need Davis to step up his game if they hope to win against the defending champions.
Anthony Davis said his shot diet didn't change from Game 2 vs. Game 1, he just missed them.
Shot charts seems to confirm that as more or less a fact. Warriors made some of those shots more difficult, but they were roughly in the same spots
Sometimes it's a make or miss league. pic.twitter.com/FLnJaq4oL0
— Jacob Rude (@JacobRude) May 5, 2023
The Lakers led the league in free throw attempts but failed to get to the line until late in the second quarter in Game 2. The Warriors did a good job of crowding the paint and preventing the Lakers from playing downhill, affecting their performance at the free throw line. The Lakers were +20 from the line and +26 in the paint in Game 1 but failed to replicate this success in Game 2.
Despite the loss, Lakers’ superstar LeBron James is confident in his team’s defensive abilities. He believes they are still one of the best defensive teams in the league and will continue to rely on their defense in future games. James scored 14 points in the first quarter of Game 2 but couldn’t keep up with the Warriors’ scoring pace after Davis failed to deliver.
The Lakers know they can’t afford to make any more mistakes, as they did in Games 2 and 5 against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round.
The margin for error is much smaller against the defending champions, and the Lakers need to diversify their action to get Davis in opportune positions to score. The team is determined to respond in the right way and put up a better fight in Game 3.
Golden State Warriors Dominate Los Angeles Lakers to Even Series in Blowout Win
The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a disappointing loss to the Golden State Warriors in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal series, losing 127-100 in a game that was never really close.
Despite LeBron James’ impressive 23-point performance, the Lakers struggled to contain the Warriors’ explosive offense, particularly the sharpshooting of Klay Thompson, who sank eight 3-pointers en route to a 30-point game.
The Warriors set a new NBA record for most 3-pointers in the first two games of a playoff series, with a total of 42. Head coach Steve Kerr made some lineup changes to try and give his team a different look, including starting JaMychal Green in place of Kevon Looney.
It proved to be a smart move, as Green matched his playoff career high with 15 points and helped the Warriors dominate in the paint.
Meanwhile, Anthony Davis, who had been the star of Game 1, struggled to find his rhythm and finished with just 11 points on 5-for-11 shooting. The Lakers simply couldn’t keep up with the Warriors, who outscored them 84-47 over the second and third quarters.
The series now heads to Los Angeles for Game 3, and the Lakers will need to regroup and come up with a new game plan if they hope to take back control of the series.
