After dropping the opening game of the second-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors needed to respond in Game 2 to avoid an 0-2 slide before the series pivots to Hollywood.
With the pressure mounting at home, the Warriors answered the bell in a big way.
After the Lakers took an early lead in the first quarter, the Warriors stepped on the gas in the second quarter with a 41-point frame before halftime.
Coming out of the locker room with a double-digit lead, the Warriors stayed hot, notching 43 points in the third quarter to put an exclamation point on the game. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Warriors clung to a 30-point advantage on the way to a blowout win.
With a lopsided 127-100 win in favor of the Warriors, the series is now tied at 1-1 before heading to Los Angeles on Saturday night for Game 3.
Below are three thoughts and things to know from Game 3:
Klay Thompson
Although it wasn’t Game 6 yet, Klay Thompson took over in Game 2 on Thursday night.
The veteran sharpshooter helped swing momentum in Golden State’s favor with a fiery second quarter effort. Thompson notched 14 of the Warriors’ 41 points in the second quarter to push an 11-point advantage before halftime.
Thompson finished with a game-high 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting from the field to go along with three rebounds and an assist in 31 minutes.
Thompson caught fire from deep, hitting eight triples from deep
Steph Curry
Thursday’s Game 2 against the Lakers marked the lowest scoring performance of Steph Curry’s recent playoff run. Despite only scoring 20 points, Curry served as a facilitator on Thursday night.
The reigning NBA Finals MVP dished out a playoff-high 12 assists against the Lakers in Game 2. Thursday’s Game 2 performance was the most assists from Curry in a playoff game since 2014 and the third most of his postseason career.
Anthony Davis
During the Lakers win on Tuesday night in Game 1, Anthony Davis led the way with a dominant performance. The former Kentucky Wildcat torched the Warriors for 30 points and 23 rebounds in 44 minutes.
However, Game 2 was a different story. Behind tough defense from Draymond Green, Davis was limited to only 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field with seven rebounds.
Davis’ 11 point performance was his lowest output of the 2022-23 playoffs.
Highlight of the Night
Via @NBCSWarriors on Twitter:
Come on, Steph … HOW!? pic.twitter.com/qGLOCPyXqU
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 5, 2023
