Klay Thompson scored 30 points with eight three-pointers, Golden State limited Anthony Davis while allowing LeBron James 23 points, and the defending champion Warriors evened their Western Conference semifinal with the Los Angeles Lakers at one game apiece with a 127-100 win Thursday night.
Coach Steve Kerr switched things up and inserted JaMychal Green into the starting lineup for Kevon Looney, who had a career-high 23 rebounds in Game 1 but has been dealing with an illness. Kerr aimed to give a different look with scoring options and perhaps more free-throw chances by going hard at Davis in the paint — where Golden State got thoroughly outplayed in a 117-112 loss in the opener.
Thompson’s basket with 7:48 left in the third gave Golden State its biggest lead at 82-64 and the Warriors rolled from there. The Warriors had more fast-break points and points in the paint. JaMychal Green matched his playoff career high with 15 points, while Draymond Green contributed 11 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists after insisting he had to get more aggressive.
The best-of-seven series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Saturday.
KLAY THOMPSON IN <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/PLAYOFFMODE?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#PLAYOFFMODE</a> <br><br>30 PTS<br>8-11 3PM<br>W<br><br>LAL/GSW Game 3: Sat, 8:30pm/et on ABC <a href=”https://t.co/HONpIWYheu”>pic.twitter.com/HONpIWYheu</a>
—@NBA
James shot six for eight in the first with a pair of threes for 14 points as the visiting Lakers led 33-26. He retrieved a loose ball and let it fly for a pretty three with 7:47 before halftime but the Warriors were too much.
Davis followed up his brilliant Game 1 performance — 30 points, 23 rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots and 11-for-19 shooting — with 11 points while shooting five for 11, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
Looney received huge roars as he came off the bench for his first action with 3:41 left in the first. He grabbed eight rebounds and scored six points playing just less than 12 minutes.
Kerr was hardly worried ahead of Game 2, pointing to how Golden State lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals at home to Boston last year before winning it all.
The Warriors also rallied from a 2-0 deficit in their first-round series to beat Sacramento, the first defending champion to ever do so.
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