SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Klay Thompson hit eight 3-pointers and finished with 30 points, Golden State held off Anthony Davis and allowed 23 points to LeBron James, and the defending champion Warriors pulled their Western Conference semifinal series to one game at defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 127-100 on Thursday.
Stephen Curry had 20 points and 12 assists as Thompson grabbed the spotlight to help Golden State finish with 21 3-pointers, setting a record for the most by a team in the first two games of a playoff series with 42. James’ Cavaliers had 40 against Atlanta in the second round of the 2016 postseason.
Coach Steve Kerr made some changes and started JaMychal Green in place of Kevon Looney, who had a career-high 21 rebounds in the series opener but was ill on Thursday. Kerr’s goal was to present a different team with more offensive options and perhaps the possibility of more free throw attempts by attacking Davis near the basket, where Golden State was heavily outplayed during a 117-112 loss in Game 1. the Serie.
Thompson’s layup with 7:48 left in the third quarter gave Golden State its biggest lead to that point, 82-64, and the Warriors weren’t in any trouble for the rest of the game. Golden State had more points in transition and more points near the rim. JaMychal Green matched his postseason career-high with 15 points, while Draymond Green added 11 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists after insisting he needed to be more aggressive.
The best-of-seven series moves to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Saturday.
