Los Angeles Lakers Smash Golden State Warriors in Game 3

The Los Angeles Lakers answered Thursday night's 127-100 defeat at the hands of the Golden State Warriors with a blowout of their own. The Lakers thoroughly dominated the Warriors on Saturday night in Game 3 of their second-round matchup, cruising to a 127-97 victory thanks to ruthlessly efficient nights from Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and D'Angelo Russell.

The Lakers take Game 3 at home ‼️

LeBron: 21 PTS, 8 REB, 8 AST
AD: 25 PTS, 13 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL, 4 BLK

LA leads the series 2-1 👀 pic.twitter.com/ViFIXRfidl
— NBA (@NBA) May 7, 2023

Davis was a force on both sides of the court, tallying 25 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, three steals, and four blocks while hitting a ridiculous seven of his 10 field goal attempts. James and Russell pitched in with effective games of their own, scoring 21 points a piece on a combined 14 of 24 field goal attempts. As a team, the Lakers ended their night shooting a ridiculous 52.5% from the field, including a scorching hot 48.4% from three. It was an easy night's work for the home team; no player logged more than 33 minutes.

The Warriors actually held a 30-23 lead after the first quarter, but things quickly got out of hand from then on. Their vaunted shooting trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Jordan Poole all went ice cold, combining for a miserable 16 of 44 from the field on the night. As a team, the Warriors stumbled to a 39.6% mark from the field and committed a ghastly 19 turnovers. It just wasn't their night. The Lakers closed the first half on a 30-8 run and never looked back.

With the win, the Lakers now hold a 2-1 lead in the series. For the Warriors to eventually force a Game 7 at home, they'll have to figure out some way to pick up at least one road win in Los Angeles, and if tonight is any indication, that may be a problem. The Warriors were simply awful on the road this season, compiling an 11-30 record with a -176 total point differential.

The Lakers host the Warriors for Game 4 on Monday night at 10 PM ET.