LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates a three point basket against the Golden State Warriors at the end of the second quarter by Austin Reaves #15 in game six of the Western Conference Semifinal Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on May 12, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Harry How/Getty Images/AFP
LeBron James scored 30 points and Anthony Davis added 17 points with 20 rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers’ dynamic duo returned the franchise to the Western Conference finals for the second time since 2010 with a 122-101 victory Friday over the visiting Golden State Warriors.
Austin Reaves scored 23 points and D’Angelo Russell had 19 as the Lakers won the conference semifinals in six games and eliminated the defending NBA champions by improving to 6-0 at home in the playoffs. Davis played despite a head injury that occurred in the fourth quarter of Game 5.
The Lakers move on to face the Denver Nuggets on the road in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday.
Stephen Curry scored 32 points and Donte DiVincenzo added 16 off the bench as the Warriors lost to a Western Conference team in the playoffs for the first time since Steve Kerr became head coach in the 2014-15 season.
Klay Thompson struggled for the fourth consecutive game, going 2 of 12 from 3-point range and finishing with eight points for Golden State. The Warriors were 13 of 48 (27.1 percent) from 3-point range.
Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates after making a half court basket against the Golden State Warriors at the end of the second quarter in game six of the Western Conference Semifinal Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on May 12, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Harry How/Getty Images/AFP
Draymond Green scored nine points with nine rebounds for the Warriors. Green was slowed by a calf injury in the fourth quarter, while Andrew Wiggins played with a rib cartilage fracture and scored just six points.
The Lakers came out with early energy, leading by 17 points just over seven minutes into the game.
The Lakers finished the first half on a dynamic sequence. Davis blocked a shot inside by DiVincenzo, James tapped the ball down court and Reaves drilled a half-court shot at the buzzer for a 56-46 lead at the half.
Amid his first start of the playoffs, the Lakers’ Dennis Schroder was ejected with 6:20 remaining in the third quarter after receiving his second technical foul. His replacement, Lonnie Walker IV, scored five quick points and Los Angeles went into the final period with a 91-77 lead.
The Lakers pushed their advantage to 24 points at 106-82 with 7:17 remaining.
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