LOS ANGELES – – With no Anthony Davis and an ill LeBron James, the Warriors pick up a big win defeating the Lakers 134-120 to get a half-game within take over the ninth spot in the Western Conference.
Davis missed the game due to a headache and nausea. He left Sunday night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves after getting hit in the face in the first quarter.
The Warriors took advantage of the absence of Davis as the team attacked the rim with ease shooting 57.5% from the field and created opportunities for plenty of open threes.
Golden State made 26 3-pointers and with their deadeye shooting halted any run the Lakers tried to make.
Klay Thompson scored 27 points and Steph Curry added 23 points to lead the Warriors.
“They were blazing hot — blazing, blazing hot,” Ham said. “But we don’t have time to feel sorry for ourselves. We’ve got to get our bootstraps together, get back on the drawing board, look at the film and try to make the best out of these last two games.”
James, who was a game-time decision played well finishing the game with 33 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds.
The Lakers had won eight of nine before taking back-to-back home losses.
“We know we’re as good as any team in the league when we’re whole and when we’re not, we’re not,” James said. “It’s hard for us to make up, especially having a guy like AD not playing. It’s almost pretty much impossible to make up for what he provides for our ballclub, both offensively and defensively.”
Austin Reaves who scored 22 points and Rui Hachimura added 20 points but it wasn’t enough as D’Angelo Russell scored just 14 points on 3-of-11 shooting.
With the loss, the Lakers failed to take advantage of another loss by the struggling Sacramento Kings which blew another 20-point lead and lost to Oklahoma City.
The Lakers fell to 2-4 without Davis and will look to regroup to finish the season strong.
Los Angeles’ final two games will be on the road as they travel to Memphis on Friday and to New Orleans to play the Pelicans on the final day of the regular season.
