Anthony Davis and LeBron James on Saturday powered the Los Angeles Lakers in a rout of defending champions the Golden State Warriors, while Jimmy Butler returned from an ankle injury to spark the Miami Heat’s romp over the New York Knicks in the NBA playoffs.
Davis scored 25 points and grabbed 13 rebounds while LeBron James added 21 points to lead the host Lakers over the Warriors 127-97.
Davis made 7 of 10 shots from the floor, 11 of 12 from the free-throw line, and had four blocks, three assists and three steals while overwhelming with defensive plays.
Photo: Gary A. Vasquez-USA Today
“I just wanted to come out and get back to the dominant performance that I do defensively,” Davis said. “We wanted to get back to our roots, and defending and guarding. This is a tough team to guard, but we know that we can do it and we did it well tonight, holding them to 97 points.”
James, who went the first 13 minutes without shooting, added eight assists and eight rebounds while D’Angelo Russell posted 21 points, all in the first half.
The Lakers grabbed a 2-1 lead over the defending champion Warriors in their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series with game four in Los Angeles today.
Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 23 points, while Andrew Wiggins added 16 and Klay Thompson had 15.
In the Eastern Conference, Butler scored 28 points to lead the Heat over the Knicks 105-86, giving Miami a 2-1 series lead with Game 4 on their home court today.
“It feels good to get a dub on our home floor in front of our fans,” Butler said. “We’re going to take that and roll with it.”
Butler missed Miami’s loss on Tuesday after being injured in the series opener, but returned to help the Heat lead from start to finish.
“I’m comfortable, I’m confident and I work extremely hard at my craft,” Butler said. “My teammates have got a lot to do with that. They always make sure I’m catching the ball in spots where I’m comfortable and letting me be aggressive.”
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