The Los Angeles Lakers destroyed the Golden State Warriors on Friday night, winning 122-101 in Game 6 to move on to the Western Conference finals where they’ll face the Denver Nuggets.
LeBron James led the way with 30 points, nine rebounds and nine assists on just 14 shots. Anthony Davis, who for a minute was thought to be in jeopardy of missing the game after exiting Game 5 courtesy of a Kevon Looney forearm to the head, dominated from start to finish with 20 rebounds to go with 17 points on just nine shots.
That’s supreme efficiency from the L.A. stars, who then got all the support they needed from Darvin Ham’s trimmed seven-man rotation. Austin Reaves was spectacular with 23 points, six assists and five rebounds. Perhaps the biggest swing of the game can at the close of the first half, when Klay Thompson missed a 3 that could’ve cut the Lakers’ lead to four, and Reaves turned around and buried a half-courter to push it to 10.
D’Angelo Russell added 19, Lonnie Walker 13, Rui Hachimura nine. Dennis Schroder hounded Curry over the top of ball screens until he was ejected after 25 minutes of action.
The Lakers jumped out to an early 17-point lead, and though Golden State trimmed the lead to five at the end of the first quarter, the tone for the game was set. The Lakers were the more assertive, physical team from the jump.
The Warriors tried to hang around as long as they could by firing 3-pointers that used to go in seemingly every time they needed them. They don’t go in like that anymore. Golden State finished 13 for 48 from deep.
Stephen Curry led the way with 32 points, but it took his 28 shots. Klay Thompson was dreadful, finishing 3 for 19 from the floor. Andrew Wiggins was clearly injured, finishing with six points. Draymond Green wasn’t nearly the factor he was in Game 5.
So the Warriors are going home. They have a lot of decisions to make this summer. The Lakers, meanwhile, will be in Denver for Game 1 of the WCF on Tuesday.
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