Top 5 Plays From the Lakers Vs Warriors Game May 2023

  The Los Angeles Lakers stunned the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of their NBA playoff series with an emphatic victory on Tuesday. Anthony Davis led all scorers with 30 points while LeBron James added 22 to lead their side to a 117-112 triumph. Stephen Curry led Golden State with 27 points while Klay Thompson added 25. The reigning champs will try to close out the series Thursday evening back at home on their home floor. 1. LeBron James dunk over Klay Thompson On Tuesday night, LeBron James led his Lakers team to an easy 117-112 win over the Warriors to give them a 1-0 advantage in their second-round series. LeBron finished with 22 points to lead all scorers. Anthony Davis had 30 points and 23 rebounds to go along with Stephen Curry's 28. Despite their dominance at the rim, however, the Warriors struggled against the Lakers' formidable frontline; leading to an intense battle in the paint as each side attempted to leverage its advantages. One of the Lakers' key strengths was getting the ball to big men. This strategy formed part of their matchup against the Warriors, where their approach focused on inside-out play to set up Anthony Davis at the basket. That strategy proved fruitful as the Lakers were able to find openings for Davis in the paint for layups while taking advantage of Warriors defensive deficiencies at the rim. But the Warriors weren't able to keep pace and their comeback fell apart late in the fourth quarter. Unable to tie the score at 112-112 after Jordan Poole missed a 3-pointer with 9.7 seconds remaining and Russell answered back before James blocked Curry's shot with 1:53 left in regulation, the Warriors could no longer complete their run and couldn't tie up the score at 112-112. As a result, the Lakers took an unlikely 115-114 advantage on a layup from D'Angelo Russell with 8.6 seconds remaining and held Golden State scoreless in those final 1.9 seconds; ultimately allowing Russell to seal it with a jumper at free-throw line and seal their win. Gary Payton II of the Lakers made one of the most memorable plays of the game when shooting guard Klay Thompson set him up with an electric dunk in the third quarter, complete with a brilliant behind-the-back pass from Klay and an unbelievable dunk that will likely live long in Lakers history. 2. D’Angelo Russell dunk over Draymond Green Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors battled it out from tip off of Western Conference semifinals game one, making for a fast-paced, exciting, and exhilarating contest that featured both teams building leads before either could be extinguished. It was a matchup of all-time greats - two of the best players in basketball history. Additionally, it was an epic clash of styles: Lakers tried playing more traditionally against Warriors by setting up big man Anthony Davis while working inside. Warriors preferred attacking Lakers' frontline from outside. Lakers find a way to win in spite of all odds despite all odds: taking down defending champions San Francisco Warriors by an overwhelming 117-112 margin on Tuesday night to claim home court advantage in their series. LeBron James led all scorers with 22 points, but D'Angelo Russell and Dennis Schroder combined for 19 off the bench points as Lakers win fifth consecutive game and 15 of 19 since March 8. At 107-107, with D'Angelo Russell dunking over Draymond Green to give the Lakers a lead, D'Angelo Russell took a pass from Dennis Schroder and scored his second dunk of the quarter to give Los Angeles an advantage. Russell finished with 10 points and 16 rebounds - an outstanding performance for any player! The Warriors rallied late, drawing to within four points with just over one minute remaining before Dennis Schroder hit two free throws to seal the Lakers 115-114 win and move them 2-0 in their best-of-7 series against San Francisco. Game two will take place Thursday. 3. D’Angelo Russell dunk over Draymond Green The Lakers outplayed themselves against the Warriors during this matchup, forcing every point out of them for a 117-112 win. This victory should serve as a wakeup call for both Steve Kerr and the Warriors, given Golden State's tendency to score quickly; without LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and other Lakers players doing their jobs correctly, Golden State may well have lost. Russell and Davis quickly did what was necessary to bring back the Lakers into contention: both played aggressive defense, making it harder for Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and the Warriors' other members to find open shots. They had excellent communication on the court, helping them keep scores close and avoid turnovers - something which the Lakers needed as they strive to make the playoffs for the first time since 1991. D'Angelo Russell put on a terrific showing, scoring 19 points while dishing out six assists, blocking four shots, stealing two, and contributing crucially to stopping Stephen Curry in the paint. He was an impressive presence on the glass and contributed significantly to the Lakers' tight defense in the first half, forcing the Warriors into playing more zone defense than normal. Additionally, he blocked away several key shots that helped set up Curry and Thompson for successful plays later on, such as one which gave the Warriors an eight-point edge. After an early stumble, Russell found his stride in the third quarter with two drives that ended with spectacular finishes accompanied by acrobatic moves and two baskets on drives that ended with aerial finishes. Additionally, he scored with just over three seconds left in half with help from Schroder for another crucial score. 4. D’Angelo Russell dunk over Draymond Green In Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals, Los Angeles Lakers overcame an early 14-point deficit to defeat Golden State 78-73 and secure their first postseason win 78-73 and set the tone for their series against them. The Lakers began the night on an impressive 14-0 run that had fans standing. Draymond Green kept the Warriors competitive by locking down opponents. Russell displayed his skills once more when he made an impressive play in the fourth quarter by draining a three-pointer and then turning around and blocking Draymond Green as the Warriors attempted to drive the ball at him on his end of the court. This dunk was the highlight of the night for Lakers fans everywhere, demonstrating their young talent and that they can score plenty of points without LeBron James as the source. D'Angelo Russell scored 18 points and added eight rebounds and four assists, pacing his team to victory in just 19 minutes of action. After the game, Russell expressed that his goal was to ensure his teammates were prepared for a late game scenario where it might become stressful or uncomfortable - making sure that nerves did not distract from completing tasks effectively. At the end of the game, Draymond Green and himself worked well together and their defense helped secure victory for their team. Watch below as the two of them created the winning basket together. In the first half, the Warriors struggled to penetrate into the paint. Shooting only 27% from deep and being tied at 70-70 for eight minutes of second quarter action with eight remaining, Stephen Curry hit a three-pointer to put his team ahead by one. 5. D’Angelo Russell dunk over Draymond Green As is often the case during NBA playoffs, big men often make themselves known with epic dunks against their opponents. Larry Nance Jr of the Los Angeles Lakers certainly didn't disappoint on Sunday afternoon against Golden State Warriors when he unleashed an emphatic jam that sent point guard D'Angelo Russell flapping his arms like a bird in celebration as Lakers went on to win game 109-103. The Lakers didn't have their best defensive night in the first quarter, but rebounded well by forcing four turnovers and opening up an 18-point lead in the second. Their fourth quarter defense will need improvement; nevertheless, it was still an encouraging showing. Lakers started off slowly but are beginning to get shots off now, leading 19-15 with coach Darvin Hamm calling a timeout to try and fix some distance-shooting issues. Hopefully the remaining time during this break can help the Lakers improve their shooting from distance. Once Warriors exited the timeout, Lakers' lead has grown back up to five points and they can regain some breathing room in this contest. While their play right now may be wasteful with regards to ball usage, that will need to change during their break and they need to try making shots before game two starts again. The Lakers still have much work to do, but they're making progress in building team chemistry as the season goes along. Their roster combines experienced players like LeBron James who has already made his presence felt in this postseason with promising young talent like Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson; it's becoming clearer how all their players work together, which marks an improvement since midseason roster changes were implemented.