Courtesy: Silver Screen and Roll
The Los Angeles Lakers seized their first series lead in the NBA playoffs on Thursday, defeating the Phoenix Suns 109-95 at Staples Center. They are now up 2-1 after trailing 1-0 earlier.
It appeared that neither team wanted to seize control of the game inside Staples Center. The best-of-seven series was tied at 1-1, and fans in Los Angeles were permitted inside Staples Center for the first playoff game since April 27, 2013, creating an exciting atmosphere.
Anthony Davis led the way for the Lakers with 34 points and 11 rebounds. LeBron James chipped in 21 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds. Dennis Schroder added 20 points and 4 assists.
Tensions were high at the end of the game, and Crowder and Booker were both removed with 20 seconds left, but the winner had already been determined. The Lakers will seek to extend their lead at the Staples Center next.
Throughout the season, the Suns demonstrated that they were the most improved club from the previous season. The arrival of Chris Paul catapulted the Suns to a new level, giving them the NBA’s second-best record. However, the Lakers have the experience and talent to take over at any time. They made the required modifications to recover from a poor performance in Game 1 and grab the series lead.
To their credit, the Suns played solid defence as well, but they had to protect LeBron James and Anthony Davis, both of whom are unguardable at their best. And, though it’s debatable whether they were physically at their best on Thursday night, they were undeniably unguardable.
The Lakers will play one more home game before returning to the road for Game 5. Despite the fact that Game 4 will be played at home, they will have two “travel days” to recover, therefore their next game will be on Sunday.
Worth the wait. #LakersWin pic.twitter.com/zrlSXlKC3q
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) May 28, 2021