STAPLES CENTER, LOS ANGELES, CA — The Golden State Warriors (55-5) traveled down south to face the Los Angeles Lakers (12-51).
The Warriors were without Andre Iguodala (hamstring) and Festus Ezeli (knee surgery). Kevon Looney was in Santa Cruz on D-League assignment.
The Lakers were without Anthony Brown (foot) and Lou Williams (hamstring).
1st Quarter – Cold From Downtown LA
Kobe Bryant missed the Lakers’ first possession, an iso versus Stephen Curry beyond the left arc amidst cheers from the Staples Center crowd, then Curry scored the first bucket after that, from the left wing to put the Warriors up, 3-0, with 10:33 remaining.
But Curry and Klay Thompson missed their next long-range attempts, one of which led to a Bryant layup, but Golden State fought back with backdoor cuts, Andrew Bogut hitting Klay for a reverse layup as well as a dunk later on:
https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
Bogut also connected on a touchdown pass to Curry after Jordan Clarkson missed a jumper and Steph leaked out:
.@andrewbogut to @StephenCurry30 .. Touchdown! (ABC) pic.twitter.com/1IhOSA0kmU
— GoldenStateWarriors (@warriors) March 6, 2016
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
After Thompson’s dunk via Bogut from the right block, Lakers head coach Byron Scott called timeout as the Warriors took a 10-8 lead with 5:58 to go.
That was also Bogut’s fourth assist. He would add two more soon thereafter.
The layups continued after the timeout as Steph wheeled around Klay for a left-side layup, assisted by Bogut, then after Marcelo Huertas got an “and-one” against fellow Brazilian Leandro Barbosa, who had checked in for Thompson, Clarkson missed again, Anderson Varejao got the board, passed up an outlet to Curry on the left, gave it to Draymond Green in the middle, who went upcourt and found Steph for another layup on the left side, this time a reverse banker:
.@andrewbogut not the only one dropping dimes out here. pic.twitter.com/Rd4xnE2YbS
— GoldenStateWarriors (@warriors) March 6, 2016
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The Warriors went ahead, 18-13, with 3:36 left, but the Lakers counter-punched as Clarkson made a three then a jumper, evening the score at 18-apiece, and Golden State head coach Steve Kerr took a timeout with 2:24 to play.
Los Angeles kept the heat on as Brandon Bass got a dunk putback of a missed jumper from Nick Young and Larry Nance, Jr. got a backdoor slam.
The only answer the Warriors had was a fast break layup assisted on a nice outlet by Green after Huertas missed a jumper.
Golden State had the last possession, but Curry threw the ball away, expecting Brandon Rush to cut when he flared out. The buzzer sounded as the Lakers stole it, and Rush pointed to himself, saying, “My bad,” to Steph.
Los Angeles took a 22-21 lead at the quarter break. The Warriors were shooting 1-for-10 from beyond the arc.
2nd Quarter – Turnovers
The bench unit couldn’t hold the lead as Bass got a couple buckets, Kobe made a turnaround swish over Rush to the crowd’s delight, and D’Angelo Russell scored a triple from the top after the Lakers got an offensive rebound.
Shaun Livingston took it upon himself to stop the bleeding on two occasions during that run with jumpers, but Russell drilled another triple and, with 7:44 remaining, Kerr took another timeout as Los Angeles stretched their lead out to 36-29.
https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js
Out of the timeout, Klay finally got a jumper to drop, Livingston drained another jumper from the post, and Thompson found Marreese Speights underneath for an easy bucket, as the Warriors climbed back to a 43-38 deficit with 5:30 to go:
.@KlayThompson pump fakes and finds @Mospeights16 for the easy two on ABC. pic.twitter.com/le61R1pCuP
— GoldenStateWarriors (@warriors) March 6, 2016
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Kerr re-inserted Bogut and Curry to rejoin Livingston, Thompson, and Green. Bryant missed a triple over Curry and wanted a foul, but didn’t get it, then after Ian Clark subbed in for LIvingston, the Warriors got as close as 47-44 as Clark drilled a triple on Steph’s first assist of the night, from the right corner.
But the #SplashBrothers committed consecutive turnovers and Roy HIbbert jumped on a Curry behind-the-back bouncer that missed its taget. Hibbert called timeout before Bogut could force a jumpball.
Out of the timeout, Clarkson converted an “and-one” on Curry, Jerome Randle got an inside bucket, then a lay-in over Bogut as he slipped a pick-and-roll with Russell.
Green made a terrible pass from the top to the right wing that Russell easily intercepted and, after the uncontested layup, Kerr called another timeout with 1:06 left as the Lakers took a whopping 56-44 lead with 1:06 to play.
Kerr subbed in James McAdoo and, although he took his eye off the ball on an inside feed from Green, managed to corral the loose ball and convert the layup as Clarkson expected the catch and didn’t know there was a loose ball, averting another disastrous Warriors play.
But the turnover bug persisted and Curry made a bad pass that Clarkson stole easily and dunked on the other end.
Steph took the last possession and stepped back on Kobe’s hounding defense from the left arc, but Bryant fouled Curry and quickly admitted the hack by helping him up on his feet.
Curry drained all three free throws, Kobe missed a trey at the buzzer, and the Lakers took a 60-49 lead at halftime.
Russell led all scorers with 17 points, Clarkson added 14, Randle had 8 boards, and Huertas 6 assists.
Curry led the Warriors with 13 points, Draymond collected 5-6-4, but Klay was 0-for-4 from deep and had just 7 points. Bogut had 6 rebounds and 6 assists.
(Photo: @letsgowarriors Instagram account via @deltins)
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
