With both teams missing stars, the Lakers controlled much of the second half of Saturday’s game against the Warriors, earning a 105-99 win.
Luka Dončić and Steph Curry each missed the game due to injury
while Austin Reaves remained under a minutes restriction. As a result, a host of unlikely suspects stepped up for both teams.
After a back-and-forth first half saw both teams lead, the Lakers surged out of the gate in the second half and built up multiple double-digit leads. A feisty Golden State team kept making runs but LA had a response each time.
Turnovers were an issue once again for the purple and gold as they finished with 22, but the Warriors went 14-51 from the 3-point line, which offset things.
LA started hot from behind the arc, knocking down two 3-pointers early. They built a four-point lead until the Warriors surged ahead by scoring six straight. LeBron tied the game on a layup. Golden State retook the lead in response.
Newest Laker Luke Kennard checked in for his first minutes and drained his first attempt from behind the arc.
At the 2:23 mark, the Warriors were up by two. Gary Payton II was playing well for Golden State with seven points. Rui Hachimura led Los Angeles with five points. At the end of the first, the purple and gold were down by one.
The second period started with Jake LaRavia converting on a layup, putting the Lakers back in the lead. Both teams were struggling to find consistent offense. LA was shooting 41% from the field, while the Warriors were shooting 35%. Neither team had a player in double figures, with Payton II being the closest with nine points.
At the 6:46 mark, Los Angeles was ahead by two.
Turnovers were becoming a big issue for the Lakers as they had 12. Hachimura entered double figures with 10 points after scoring five points. The Warriors started to heat up from behind the arc to find some offense.
At halftime, LA was down by one after Pat Spencer drained a shot at the buzzer.
The second half started with Austin Reaves knocking down a free throw after Draymond Green received a technical foul at the end of the first half. LeBron then scored six straight, putting Los Angeles ahead. LeBron continued his early third-period dominance, converting on his second three-point play of the quarter.
LA built a nine-point advantage, its biggest lead of the night.
Golden State responded with five straight, making it a close affair again. The Lakers regained control, pushing their lead to 11. Jarred Vanderbilt was having a strong game off the bench with 10 points and two steals.
The Lakers had built a 12-point lead before the Warriors scored seven straight. LA struggled to defend Moses Moody, who was up to 20 points and was shooting 40% from behind the arc.
Going into the fourth period, the purple and gold were up by eight. Los Angeles only had two turnovers in the quarter.
Jaxson Hayes started the final frame with a layup. Hachimura helped provide the Lakers with some cushion as the Warriors heated up, but five straight points from Golden State cut it to three. A triple from Gui Santos made it a one-point affair.
LA responded with a 7-0 run, which included Kennard draining another 3-pointer to restore the double-digit lead. Kleber added to the run with a layup, making it a 12-point game.
Moody once again drained a 3-pointer to take it back to single digits with 3:28 left in the game. Things got chippy, with hard fouls and players chirping back and forth.
A pair of late free throws from Reaves sealed the game as the Lakers iced the game away at the line, earning a third-straight win.
Key Player Stats
LeBron finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists. Reaves ended with 16 points, five rebounds, eight assists and two steals. Hachimura scored 18 points, shooting 70% from the field.
Kennard’s first game as a Laker ended with 10 points on 4-7 shooting. Smart notched 15 points with four assists. Jarred Vanderbilt had 13 points with eight rebounds. Kleber had another impactful game off the bench with five points and seven rebounds while finishing with a team-best plus-minus of +12.
The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday at 7:00 PM PT.You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.
