NBA: Lakers squeeze past Warriors in play-in clash dominated by LeBron-Curry matchup
Los Angeles, California - There weren't many games to be played in the NBA on Wednesday night, but if there were, all eyes would've still been out west to see Steph take on LeBron, in a game that didn't disappoint.
The Lakers just barely escaped with the 103-100 win over the Warriors, locking up the seventh seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
The play-in tournament game was definitely one to remember, but then again, every time Steph Curry (33) goes up against LeBron James (36), vivid memories are made.
Curry, who just earned his second career scoring title, came into the game on the minds of every single Laker, as the game plan for LA was to keep Curry from shooting the lights out. "We got to do our best to contain him," Lakers forward Anthony Davis told ESPN before the game.
The Lakers ended the season ranked with the NBA's best defense, another reason why this was such a highly-touted matchup. The loser would have to take on the Memphis Grizzlies for the eighth and final playoff spot on Friday night.
To open the game, the Warriors came out shooting to stay in front of the Lakers, leading by as many as 11. Golden State kept at it with another pressure-filled quarter, keeping LeBron and the Lakers in check. By halftime, the Warriors had increased their lead to 55-42.
LeBron was held to just six points, while Steph led all first-half scorers with 15.
Adjustments were made by LA in the second half
The Lakers did show signs of adjusting as they shored up their defense, forcing the Warriors into costly turnovers. They finally got things rolling on offense, getting as close as one point with the help of a storming 35-point third quarter, the highest point total in any quarter for the game for LA.
Things got more square when the Lakers finally grabbed their first lead just minutes into the fourth. LeBron took over to make sure the Lakers held on to their lead, even hitting the game-winning three with just under a minute to go in the game. He finished with a triple-double scoring 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.
So it was Steph Curry who ended up winning the battle, if not the war. He led all scorers with 37 points, 18 of them coming off three-pointers. Andrew Wiggins helped out with 21 points for the Warriors. For the Lakers, Anthony Davis racked up the most points, 25, along with 12 boards.
The Lakers now head out to the desert to face the Suns, while the Warriors fight at home for the last playoff spot against the Grizzlies.
Cover photo: IMAGO / UPI Photo