LA Lakers faced Phoenix Suns at Staples Center in Los Angeles for Game 3 of Playoffs round 1.
The Lakers take the series lead 2-1 over the Suns after defeating the Suns 109-95 on Thursday evening.
Anthony Davis and Lebron James led the Lakers to win and take the lead. With the win Lakers also secured the Lakers first home playoff win since 18 May 2012.
Davis even becomes the first Lakers player since Shaq with back-to-back 30 points and 10 rebounds games in the NBAPlayoffs.
On the other hand, Deandre Ayton led the Suns.
The Suns take the lead in the first quarter.
The first quarter started with the Suns making the first bucket and taking a three-point lead.
Then Lebron James answered back with a bucket from behind the arc, tying the game.
Subsequently, Anthony Davis made a jumper on the next possession to take a two-point lead with 10:10 remaining in the clock.
DeAndre Ayton makes a bucket for the Suns, tying the game again.
https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1398116608896348161
However, Anthony again answered back with a dunk on his own miss giving the Lakers lead.
And Devin Booker came up with a jumper tying the game about three minutes into the first quarter.
Dennis Schroder then hit a three-pointer to give the Lakers a three-point lead.
Andre Drummond denied Devin Booker at the rim, giving the Lakers another bucket with Lebron dropping a layup.
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) May 28, 2021
Chris Paul hits a jumper on the other hand cutting the lead. Drummond answers back with a dunk.
Deandre Ayton dropped another bucket and Paul came up with a jumper right after that bringing the game within a point.
Both the teams went head to head for the first quarter.
Mikal Bridges dropped a three-pointer on Paul’s pass, giving the Suns a point lead halfway into the quarter.
However, Davis soon took the lead back with a bucket with 4:39 remaining in the clock.
Schroder another bucket after that extended the lead to three-point. Bridges answered back with a three-pointer, tying the game again at 19-19.
Kyle Kuzma‘s alley-oop to Davis gave another bucket for the Lakers. But Booker’s three-pointer after that gave the lead back to the Suns.
Schroder dropped a layup and Alex Caruso’s pass to Davis gave another bucket-started 4-0 run with about two minutes remaining in the quarter.
The Suns also answered back with a 6-0 run on Booker’s jumper and Ayton’s turn-around floater and again with Booker’s left-handed layup.
Caruso’s layup on James’ pass ended the quarter 28-27 with the Suns with a point advantage.
Early Battling pic.twitter.com/bc86gPxRqq
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) May 28, 2021
The Lakers take the lead in the second quarter.
Torrey Craig starts the second quarter with a three-pointer for the Suns, giving a four-point lead about a minute into the quarter.
Caruso continued to make a bucket for the Lakers as he made a layup subsequently.
The Lakers tied the game at 31-31 with 10:10 minutes remaining in the quarter.
James’ lop to Drummond gave the laker a two-point lead. While Paul’s jumper tied the game again.
Kuzma dropped a three-pointer, starting a 5-0 run. Chris Paul’s lob to Ayton started a 6-0 run for the Suns.
The Suns in the lead with 2:40 remaining in the quarter.
Booker drove straight to the basket but Davis denied him at the rim.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope stole the ball and dropped a bucket giving the Lakers 2 point lead. He again drops another bucket.
Defense leads to offense.
(📺: @SpectrumSN) pic.twitter.com/gn7SDcXArl
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) May 28, 2021
The quarter ended 40-43 with the Lakers in the lead.
The Lakers dominated the Suns in the third quarter.
James started the quarter with a bucket and the Lakers made a 6-0 run after that.
The Lakers took 9 point lead with 9:39 remaining in the quarter. Ayton then answers with a bucket.
But Drummond drops another bucket on James’ pass.
Booker lost the ball to James giving a turnover and Schroder sets up Davis on James’ pass.
The Lakers took the Largest lead of the night with 11 point advantage with 7:54 remaining in the quarter.
They were 44-54 as Ayton drops a floater on his own miss. And James answered right back with a bucket.
James again drops another jumper subsequently giving the Lakers 13-point lead halfway into the quarter.
He drops a dunk again on the next Lakers’ possession and passes to Davis for a jumper right after that.
Welcome to the Jam
(📺: @SpectrumSN ) pic.twitter.com/TZFEowZHMf
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) May 28, 2021
The Lakers took 15-point advantage with 4:54 on the clock as Booker made a layup. Schroder then drew a foul with a bucket on the other side.
The Lakers continued to dominate the Suns.
Cameron Johnson then drops a three-pointer for the Suns on Craig’s pass. This started an 8-2 run for the Suns as they cut the lead to 10 points with under two minutes left to play.
Davis answered right back with a back-to-back bucket and another bucket again after that.
Payne drops a layup with 29.2 seconds remaining.
And the quarter ended 65-76 with the Lakers taking 11-point advantage.
The Suns tried to come back early in the fourth quarter.
Torrey Craig started the fourth quarter with a three-pointer for the Suns.
They were 68-78 with 10:26 remaining in the quarter as James drove to the rim, making a layup.
Wesley Matthews drops a three-pointer extending the Lakers’ lead to 18 points.
Ayton answered with a bucket but the Lakers answered right back Marc Gasol‘s three-pointer on James’ pass.
James’ reverse layup with Jae Crowder defending him hyped up the bench.
Lakers having too much fun rn 😆
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/ooUUbKqifw
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 28, 2021
They were 74-93 halfway into the quarter as Cameron Payne drops a three-pointer.
He drops another three-pointer again as the Suns go 6-0 with it and cut the lead to 15 points.
Davis falls giving Payne to score another three-pointer as the lead cuts to 11 points.
The Lakers lost the ball and Payne gets the ball giving the Suns another chance for the bucket as Booker drops a floater.
The Suns are within 9 points with 3:12 remaining in the quarter.
The Lakers take the win in the fourth quarter.
Schroder finally answers back with a layup. But Crowder drops a three-pointer right back.
Ayton drops a bucket right in front of Davis.
They were 93-103 with 38.1 seconds remaining as Booker gets ejected with a flagrant foul on Schroder.
Torrey Craig drops a jumper with 6.8 seconds remaining as the quarter ends 95-109 with the Lakers taking the win.
Anthony Davis was not happy with Booker’s foul on Schroder.
“It can’t happen. You can’t do that … You don’t push a guy out of the air like that with two hands. It’s a dirty play, Dennis could have really got hurt right there.”
“That just can’t happen,” he continued. “Hard fouls, things like that – it’s a playoff basketball. We accept those. But just to blatantly push a guy with two hands out of the air, it’s a scary play … It’s unacceptable.”
Anthony Davis historic night.
The Lakers dominated the Suns throughout the second half and ultimately took the win because of brilliant shooting from the Lakers players.
And the key player of the game was Anthony Davis who dropped 34 points and 11 rebounds double-double led the Lakers.
Only five Lakers have recorded consecutive 30 Pts and 10 Reb in consecutive playoff games:
🟨 Anthony Davis
🟪 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
🟨 Elgin Baylor
🟪 Kobe Bryant
🟨 Shaquille O'Neal pic.twitter.com/lnmO8Zb3Yr— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 28, 2021
He did all these despite having discomfort in his left leg after a chase-down block on Devin Booker with 2:36 left in the second quarter.
Davis’ 34 points and 11 rebounds game made a little bit of history tonight as he became the first Lakers player since Shaq with back-to-back 30 points and 10 rebounds games in the NBAPlayoffs.
Besides Davis Lebron James dropped 21 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds. While Dennis Schroder dropped 20 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Deandre Ayton shines for the Suns.
On the other hand, Deandre Ayton led the Suns, scoring 22 points and 11 rebounds double-double.
A 3rd double-double of the series for Deandre Ayton.
22 PTS | 11 REB | 2 BLK | 40.2 FPTS pic.twitter.com/PbtijxAvKn
— NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) May 28, 2021
He was all around the court for the Suns coming up with the buckets, keeping the Suns in the game till the final seconds of the game.
Besides Ayton, Devin Booker dropped 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Likewise, Cameron Payne led the Suns’ bench as he dropped 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Followed by Torrey Craig who contributed 11 points and 4 rebounds all coming off the bench.
Now the Lakers and the Suns face off for game 4 on Monday.
