NBA LIVE! Los Angeles Lakers vs Golden State Warriors LIVE | July 15, 2025 | NBA PRESEASON | NBA 2K
center, Danny at point guard, Naomi at power forward, Kobe at shooting guard, and we’ve got Ko at small forward. Are you guys happy with this team? Yes or no? Let’s get it. We’re about to get some. I love it. Okay. Are you okay with everybody’s position? Yeah, I love it. That works. Absolutely. Let’s roll on the other end for team red. Up next, the Warriors taking on the Lakers. For the Warriors, they pride themselves on each and every step that leaves to victory. The preparation, the focus, the sheer will. Each game a new opportunity to prove their identity. Lakers Warriors coming up next. Hi everyone, greetings from 2K Sports. Get ready for some NBA action. This is Kevin Harwin and joining me, former NBA players Greg Anthony and Richard Jefferson and the award-winning David Aldridge is on our sidelines. Now, Golden State’s starting five. In the back court, we’ll see Curry and Pajki. Draymond Green is out there with Butler. And it’s Payton in at the three, the small forward. And for Los Angeles in it forward for him, it’s James and Hachimura. Austin Reeves out there with Luca Donic. And it’s Hayes in at the center position. Should be a lot of great ball movement tonight, RJ. These teams love sharing the wealth out there. And you got to love it, Kevin. As a player, it’s always great to see a team functioning as a unit. Fans love to see everyone get involved. Now, here is Hetimer. Here’s Donic. And a lot of contact on that one. So, he’ll shoot two here. They get Stephen Curry. Greg, you think about oversized point guards and the gold standard has always been Magic Johnson. Now you look at Luca Donic and he’s certainly big for that position. Definitely some positive similarities, right? But the big difference is one of those guys has five rings and that’s not a knock on Donic. This is a team sport, but Magic’s ability to affect winning was right there with another MJ, Michael Jordan. That free throw good from Donic. And something you see with the Lakers, they really trust their role players, don’t they, Richard? Yeah, LeBron does a great job of empowering his group. That’s why he’s top five in the league all time in assists. If you earn his trust, he will give you a ton of space to work. The Lakers know that they can only go as far as their great group of role players. Both free throws good from Donic. Richard, we know that not many teams have had steady core players like the Warriors have had over the past decade. Well, there’s so much player movement these days and it’s hard to keep any roster intact, let alone a superstar team like Golden State. And the call on the shot that sends him to the line. And with the offense getting right to the rim, at least they saved the layup. It’s his first trip to the line. Tucson. That’s good from Payton. And you can never really count out these Los Angeles Lakers, Greg, can you? No, I I I really don’t think you can. They They battle out of the playin tournament. They overcome obstacles and they have tremendous willpower. And both free throws good for Payton. LeBron with it. The 11-footer. It’s good. He makes his first shot of the game. A real threat from the in between area. Yeah, LeBron wastes no time firing when he gets to that spot. Curry kicks to Green outside. Butler, the feed to Payton James with some nice D. Fantastic defense giving full effort. It’s time now to hear from our Hall of Fame reporter, David Aldridge. What’s the latest, David? Hey, Kevin. Briefly spoke with JJ Reick. We talked about the daunting task of facing Steph Curry. Coach said Curry makes your entire five guard him. Steph might be the best condition player in the league. He is constantly moving. It makes him so difficult to track. So, of course, it’s not just Curry shooting that presents problems, guys. Thank you, David. Here’s James. The Warriors making the shot. Reeves. The pass to Jamie up again. It’s good on the put back. You know, we talk about it all the time, guys. Those second chance buckets always the result of that extra effort. Curry against Donic. Now here’s Curry guarded closely. And that one’s good. Green just won’t be denied. Draymond’s inside game a strength. Here’s LeBron. Good. Nice job down low. LeBron’s got six. Boy, he is looking confident. Love how they’re using him so far. Yeah, when he gets engaged this early in the game, it’s bad news for the defense. He can roll this start throughout the rest of the game. Here’s Pajki. Five on the clock. Green kicks to Kurt and the three off target. Lakers lead by four. Donic dishes to James. It’s deflected. That’s going to be out of bounds. Los Angeles will retain possession. Yeah. Gets a finger on it, but just can’t quite come up with the steal. That’s fine. You love the effort. Not making things easy for the opposition on offense. Reeves the pass to Hatchima. How about the edge Butler plays with? Has a fire in his eyes on defense and just always tries to shut his man down. Nothing soft about the put back there. And why Jansen, right? Take the dunk if you’ve got it. And that’s his MLB physical. get in position for the put back and throw it down. The defense got to know that’s what he’s looking to do. Now here’s Butler and it’s off from three-point range to the wing on the left. Some solid defense from Butler. Had enough room to finish and that’s one he’ll usually make. Green no luck. And so it’s Dunic with it. He brings it up for the Lakers and James throws it down. This is classic LeBron leaping off the floor for a powerful dunk. Warriors trail by eight. They’ve been struggling here on offense. Yeah, a bit of a dry spell for sure. Passes it to Kirby Latrey. The three-pointer is right on target. And the lack of effort to fight over the screen there makes that an easy shot. Yeah, as soon as these guys feel contact, they are just disappearing like they’re not even there. You got to show some fire and keep defending. Green against Reeves. Great D that time from Green. Golden State’s gone. One of three from beyond the arc so far in the game. That’s tipped. James outside. Pass to Hayes. Back to LeBron to the middle. Here’s Hatchima. Reeves outside. Six to shoot. The Lakers need to get a shot off here. Here’s Hatchimal. The shot. No good. Great D that time from Green. Here’s Butler. Oh, and he blocks it off the glass. Wow. Now here is Himra. Hayes finds Donic. James outside shoots the three. The Warriors pull it in and you could tell he thought he had a little more space, but the defender was right there. Did a great job closing the gap, making the shooter feel uncomfortable. Now here’s Butler. Scoreless thus far. The rebound by James. Lakers leading by five and he could not get that one to go. A lot of contact and he’ll go to the line for two. RJ last season LeBron passed 40,000 career points. Uh do you think we’ll ever see someone get even close to that number again? Probably not, Kevin. Not in my lifetime. You have to understand you’re going to have to score 25 points a game for 20 plus seasons to even have a chance. LeBron, he’s one of one. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. Free throw. Good. James. And Richard, you’ve watched LeBron James over the years. His approach never waivers. It never changes. He is all business all the time on the court, off the court. The consistency of his focus and mental toughness is unbelievable. And both free throws. Good for James. What I appreciate about LeBron is how much he loves being a leader. He knows how much his teammates count on him. And the Warriors decide to take their first time out here. Trying to find some answers offensively. Yeah, they need to regroup and maybe try and draw something up that can get them a clean look at the basket. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Warriors trail by seven. Now Curry pass to Pajki. That’s his second shot and his second basket. He’s two for two. And Curry isn’t just a lights out scoreer. He’s also efficient at moving the ball and getting it to his teammates. They grab their own miss. James, great D that time from Green. And that is a textbook example of how to defend your rim. This is why he’s out there in situations like this. He stands tall to prevent points. Anic feeling it out over Curry. Green with the rebound. Warriors have gone five of 12 from the field since the opening tip, but Gemsky’s shot is good. This is what separates Green from most bigs. A point forward who excels at passing passes to Hatchimal. Good. And the assist goes to Don and the Lakers lead by three. Guy is just ridiculous. He is just an absolute surgeon when he has the ball. This man is surgical. There is no way to slow him down when he wants to score. Now here’s Green and it’s blocked. And so it looks like the Warriors will retain possession here. Dorian Finny Smith’s checked in for the Lakers. Vanderbilt comes in for Himura. Then for the Warriors, Jonathan Kmena. He’s checked in for Payton. And it’s Moses Moody in for Brandon Pajki. Here’s Curry. The pass to Green. Just five on the clock. Vanderbilt against Butler and he’s still waiting to make his first shot for the night. Out of four. Here’s Donic. And the dunk by Donic. Oh, from ultra close range. Donic. Warriors trail by five. Green passes to Kaminga. He kicks it to Butler. Passes to Moody and he drops in the layup off the glass. Huge hole in the defense that possession. He didn’t waste any time cutting through it. And Reeves has got the ball here for the Los Angeles Lakers. Pass to Finny Smith. He dishes it to Donic. That one goes. Count it. Donic has got six. Once Donuch gets inside with the ball, he’s halfway there. Then he just uses his strength to finish the job. And the foul on Dorian Finny Smith. That’s his first foul. And Los Angeles with some changes. Connect. He’s checked in for James. and Goodwin subbed in for Austin Reeds. Here’s Kaminga. Still yet to score. Pass to Curry. Five to shoot. man. Come on. Come on. He gets hauled in by Los Angeles. Well, sometimes it’s more about what the defense is doing on that possession. They were all over him on the perimeter. Now a timeout called by Golden State. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Warriors trail by five. Kaminga finds Curry. That one dropped for his second bucket. Mark him two for four. Not just a jump shooter. Curry is so creative at figuring out little ways to score inside. And here’s Donic from the arc. Gets the three-pointer to fall. Donic has got nine. And that’s exactly what he’s looking for. Draining the triple. Healed the pass to Kaminga. Back to heal outside. Curry out left to the wing. Now here’s Moody. He’s guarded closely. Clock is at three. The deep three from Heel tried to answer back, but that three is off the mark. Lakers leading by six. Inside. Good D by Heel. Golden State’s gone one of five from downtown in the first quarter. Points out there have been hard to come by. Curry against Donic. Vanderbilt with the rebound. The Linkers shooting well right out of the gates here at around 50%. Goodwin good rate of baskets assisted. It’s a stat I really like. It tells the story of how well you are playing team offense. pass to post outside Curry and he’s fouled pretty hard on that shot but he’s got the chance to pick up the points at the line. It’s on Luca Donic. Clever move by Curry taking the foul but still getting the shot on. And guys, let’s get your take on the hustle steps for the Lakers. When you pile up the blocks earlier in games, it really can affect the other team. They lose confidence offensively. They’ve out hustled the opponent so far in this one. A lot of points in the open floor and that’s giving them the advantage. And he makes the first. The greatest shooter ever, Steph Curry. You played with him. What was it like seeing him day in and day out? I had the pleasure of playing with Steph the first year he broke the NBA record for threes in a season. And when I tell you he was just scratching the surface. He is always looking to push the boundaries to see what he can do and to work at every aspect of his shooting. RJ, with how well Curry continues to play, I’m not sure his three-point record will ever be broken. It’s going to be tough to do, but even if it does, I think Steph will still be regarded as the best shooter we have ever seen simply because how he changed the game. And here are the Warriors now following the bucket by the Lakers. feeds it to Kaminga. Comes out of the gate empty. He’s 0 for one. Lakers leading by eight. There’s 117 left in the first quarter. Vincent the pass to Vanderbilt. It’s stolen by Kaminga. Here’s Healed and Post gets it to go. And they keep hammering away at him inside, forcing the ball into the paint. The pass to Goodwin. 50 seconds left in the first quarter of the game. And the dunk by Vanderbilt. There it is, guys. One of those effort plays that makes a big difference in the game and GA it is definitely making a difference so far today. Offensive rebounding is about hustle and determination. Huge put back making a statement there. And hard to decide which was better, the pass, the catch, or the slam. Oh, there’s no wrong answer. S sensational alley. And the lack of effort to fight over the screen there makes that an easy shot. Yeah, as soon as these guys feel contact, they are just disappearing like they’re not even there. You got to show some fire and keep defending. And here is Curry from past the ark. And so it’s LeBron James making things happen for the Lakers, scoring, rebounding. He was all over the place during that quarter. They are writing his performance right now. And we’ll be right back after this. And if you’re just tuning in, we’ve got a wide margin on the scoreboard, but uh plenty of time left for a comeback. And taking a look at the Lakers performance here. What have they been doing or not doing in the game? Well, one way to generate more offense, pound the offensive glass. That was the difference in the first. They’re just out hustling them on the boards, punishing them for refusing to box them out accordingly. Warriors trail by nine. So for the Golden State Warriors right now, Jimmy Butler is out there with Kaminga. Then there’s Brandon Pajki. Then there’s Moses Moody. And it’s Green in at the five roaming the paint. Lock at six. Hayes with the steel to the inside. Vincent. That one’s in. His first shot this game. And really just led him to his sweet spot for that finish. And so it’s Butler with it. He’ll bring it up for the Golden State Warriors. Stolen by Reeves. Pass to LeBron. Shoots over Kaminga and he wills that one. Sinking right through off the back eye. nothing the defense can do. James is skilled at sinking that jumper right in the face. And while we’ve got a moment, let’s send it over to our terrific reporter, David. David Kev, last season, Draymond Green got his three-pointer going again. He said, “Over the years, my shot took a dive was in large part because I couldn’t get in and out of my hips. They were messed up. It was getting my movement patterns right.” Kevin, my hips haven’t been the same in years, but Draymonds are good, and now they’ve made him tough to deal with. Back to you. Your hips are pretty good, David. I’ve always said your hip floor spacing always critical. Good point, Da. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. The first one falls. I know Reeves has been accused of hunting fouls before, Richard. Uh, do you see that? Oh, I don’t know if it’s all on Reeves. It’s just the way the game is played. Great players learn how to put you in position to foul them. The goal of the game is to score, and if that’s hunting fouls, then hunt away. catching up on the changes for Los Angeles. Hatchima, he’s checked in for Dory and Finny Smith and Luca Donuch subbed in for Vincent and Reeves props them both. Greg, you’ve been a part of some great contending teams over the years, but what’s it like being on a team at the bottom of the standings with not a lot of hope for the regular season? Well, Kevin, no one likes losing, but it can certainly take a toll, but it can also allow you to play more freely when you know you’re bad and you’re not having to deal with the pressure of expectations. Shooting foul as the whistle blows. He’ll shoot two free throws. Now, nobody spends more time in the paint than LeBron James. He knows he’s going to get the contact and he still goes in there. He’s gone two for two at the line so far. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. First one falls for So, one for two that time at the strike. Warriors trail by 16. Here’s Moody. And the slam by Moody. Strong move to the 10. Trying to get his guys going. Hard not to get motivated. G right when your teammate makes that kind of play. And that could be the spark they needed to make a little run as they try to even this thing up. Here’s Hatima. The Warriors making the shot. No one near Donic as he lets it fly. He hangs in there and cashes in on the second chance points and the Lakers lead by 16. Love the determination he showed there. Getting himself into good position under the glass with the presence of mind to know just where the rebound was going to come down. Well time Warriors shooting their fifth free throw of the game here. And just to mention a season ago they were very comfortable at the line hitting about 78% of their free throws. 31 free throw good. Moody. Los Angeles leading by 13. As to Himura and they call an illegal screen here. Beyond the leaning. You could see his feet weren’t set on that screen. Easy call. Look, guys get away with this all the time, but on this occasion, he got caught. Pensky with it. Guarded by Donuch. Pass to Moody. Here’s Payton. Pajki on the wing 11 ft away and the rejection by LeBron and Brown with the blocks. Look, the shooters are working hard but he is all over them. And so it’s Himura who brings up the ball for Los Angeles. Penski grabs the board. Warriors trail by 13. Now the pass to Moody and the slam by Moody. Oh, power flush with a long hang on the rim at the end of that. That could, you know, that could be a catalyst for him. It really could. LeBron passes to Hatchima. Some nice passing here by Los Angeles. And here we go. It’s Butler and foul on the shot. He’ll shoot two at the free throw line. Butler is just hard to guard inside. really good at using his body to create contact against the defense at the basket. two. And the first one at the line is good. When it comes to players who like having fun, Greg, Jimmy Butler has to be way up there. Kevin, did you see his media picture for the 23-24 season? He looked like he belonged in an emo band with that hairstyle. Jimmy is definitely one of those guys that likes to troll and have fun. And so Butler nails both of them. A highly talented two-way player. Butler is also known for his tough-nosed approach to the game. Reeves outside, dishes it to Hayes. That shot is off target. That makes him two for three. Warriors trail by nine. Up top Moody. He’s defended by Reed. The shot by Butler. Nobody around. Hits it from three-point range. Butler’s got five points in the quarter. And he’s had his ups and downs from distance, but Jimmy Bucket’s always aggressive looking to score. Matchimura down low. defended by Butler. One-on-one fast break. Here’s Green and blocked. That one goes Karin off the glass. Here’s Hatchimal. Here’s Donic forcing his way inside. Donic. There’s no end to the way he’s Donic can score. Here’s Pajki. He’s got eight. lets it go from 11. Gets in and he’s a very efficient five for six on the game. How about that move? You’ll see very few players able to pull off just sensational stuff. And Hayes kicks to James over Payton. Here’s Hayes. Green with the rebound. Green’s got rebound number five here tonight. Butler dishes to Green. Pajki with it. He’s got 10. Just five to shoot. Green breaking loose and foul on the shot. So he’ll get a chance at the line. It’s on Luca Donuch. Yeah, easy call. It didn’t take long for Pajki to establish himself as an elite charge taker. The funny thing about the game of basketball is that some things can’t be taught. Pods clearly has the it factor when it comes for the timing that it takes to draw charges. He can steal a few possessions for you every single game. He’s off on the first And that drip coming up empty, missing both. And it’s Butler with the jam. Beautiful job closing the gap here. Let’s see if they can sustain this run. The thing they have to watch for is mental fatigue. They have to stay focused and finish the job. So, the Lakers call timeout their first. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. blows in the Reeves left side. No good on that one. And here’s Golden State. They’re on a 16-4 run. Here’s Butler. Rebound the Lakers. Hayes has got nine rebounds in the game. Getting it done. Passes it to Hatchet Murray. Reeves outside. He feeds it to LeBron. This blows. Bucket is good. He’ll have a chance at the line to make it a three-point play. The veteran smarts of James understands how to absorb the contact and still finish. Three trips to the line so far for him in this one. Vanderbilt’s checked in for the Lakers. Stephen Curry’s checked in for the Warriors. One shot. Free throw good. James and it’s the Warriors with the ball. They trail by seven. Outside Green. Pass to Payton. Outside. Curry. That’s good. And it’s Payton with the assist. Curry’s got 10 points in the game. Such a quick release. As soon as the ball touches his hands, it’s gone. Vanderbilt. The pass to Reeves. Kicks it to Hayes. Here’s Vanderbilt. And the dunk by Vanderbilt. Yeah. Coach’s pet peeve there. No box out. Oh yeah. You think you got to stop and it’s wasted because of sloppy work on the glass. You literally practice that every day. I mean, what can we say about Steph’s jumper that hadn’t already been said? LeBron outside, launches it, and it’s Curry with the rebound. Warriors trail by four. Down low. Here’s Green. And Green slams it in. Those plays can make a difference in a game like this. Well, you know it’s going to fire up, Greg. Everybody on that bench. And you can feel the jolt of energy that he sent through his team. That is a huge boost in a tight game like this. The Lakers with the ball. The Warriors making the shot. That is a hard one rebound. A man’s rebound right there. Way to battle for it inside. Executing to perfection right now offensively. I mean, in total. Good luck trying to stop him now. Now here’s Butler. Seven points in the game. Shot clock at six. No good from 11 ft. And so Donic will bring it up for the Lakers. At one point they led by 16. Reeves outside. LeBron outside puts up a deep three and the rebound goes to the Warriors. And that was a little bit of a range check for him. Yeah, he might have been feeling himself a little too much on that one. He can hit it, but not consistently. Here’s Curry. Curry gets inside and lays it in. This is what Curry does best. He is so creative at getting into rhythm and staying hot. Reeves right side. Pass to Donic. Back to Reeves. The shots good on the assist by Donic. Donic has got three assists now in this one. You can’t lose a shooter like him on the court. The ball will find its way to him and he will drill a three each time. Timeout called the Warriors. You look at James. What a contribution. This timeout gives them a chance to strategize because whatever the game plan they have, it’s not working. Heat up here. Heat. Heat. And Los Angeles will go for a different look here. Dorian Finny Smith’s checked in for Jackson Hayes. Gette comes in for James. Goodwin’s checked in for Austin Reeves. And Vincent subbed in for Donic. Now here’s Curry. 14 points for him. Pass to post. Now here’s Kaminga to the paint. Here’s Payton. Basket good. Use the pick to perfection and got all the way to the rim. The Lakers in the lead. There’s the pass to Vincent. Finny Smith kicks to Vanderbilt. There’s the dish to Goodwin and he’s going up for the alley hoop. My goodness. Save that one. I I want to see that again. Me, too. Just absolutely beautiful. And Kaminga gets it to go on the assist by Curry. Kaminga’s got his second basket of the game. Passes it to Vincent. A floater. The Warriors pull it in. Left side. Kinga. He kicks to Payton. Outside Curry. Curry getting it done inside. He’s a magician inside. Curry always finds a window now. Good one. Going inside and it’s blocked. Healed outside. Inside outside for Curry. Here’s Vincent guarded by Curry and he comes up with the deuce and the Lakers lead by one. Nice ball movement there. Delivered the pass right on time. Here’s Post. Mac to healed. There’s 45 seconds left in the first half of basketball. And oh boy, a lot of contact there, but he gets the call and will shoot two. And Richard, you just get the feeling that Jonathan Kaminga is finally starting to hit his stride, don’t you? It is all about opportunity in this league, Kevin. With more playing time and scoring chances, Kaminga has really blossomed and he is not done getting better. Two shots and he can’t get the first one. And he sinks the second and it’s Goodwin with the ball for the Lakers. At one point they led by 16. Here’s the drive. Fouled on the shot and picks up two points. So one free throw coming up. And despite the size disadvantage, attacking the heart of that defense. Really unfazed. Throw his height right out the window there for Los Angeles. They have shot the ball well from the free throw line, eight of nine. And just to mention, a season ago they were very comfortable at the line hitting about 78% of their free throws. One shot. That’s good from Connect. Warriors trail by three. Six seconds separate in the shot and game clocks. Curry dishes to Kaminga and the call will go against Jonathan Kaminga. That’s his first foul. Yeah, way to get there first and be willing to absorb the contact. 19 seconds left now here in the second. And it’s Good missing. Now here’s Curry defended by Vincent. This is his second trip to the line in this one. And and over the course of last year, he was up over 90%. And with a stroke like that, you see why. The first free throw is good. Stephen Curry hits them both. No surprise there. He’s about as automatic as it gets from the stripe. I hope I didn’t jinx him. Drives to the hoop. Goodwin banked in off the glass. Good second bucket. Just good aggressive drive from him that time. Found a hole in the D and went straight to the rim. And that’ll do it for the first half. A competitive game so far. Lakers ahead. They lead by three. And a chance now to send it over to David Aldridge standing by Courtzside. David. Kevin, thank you. With Draymond Green, Draymond rebounding a bit of a struggle. How do you improve that? Hit your man. You know, get five guys to the boards. Guards, get in there and clean up those boards that’s loose. But, you know, our big guys got to hold our mans off. And we’ve been doing that this time. We’ll see if all five can get you more boards in that second half. Dre, thanks a lot. Back to you, Kevin. All right, David. Thank you. And stay with us, folks. We’ll be back just after halftime to get the third quarter started. And now, the 2K Sports Halftime Show. Hey folks, welcome back. Ernie Johnson alongside the Jet, that’s Kenny Smith. The Diesel, that’s Shaquille O’Neal. A lot of big time action so far in this one. LeBron James had it going on in the first quarter. He had 16 points, five rebounds, and two blocks. And let’s get your thoughts, Kenny, on the Lakers. Great work on the glass so far. They’re hustling and showing more desire than boxing out. That’s what they have to do. That’s the recipe for success. And Shaq, what do you have to say about the Warriors? Their unselfishness has kept them in the game. Just look at the assist numbers. Guys are making cuts. They move with the ball freely. Look to see the offense function like a welloiled oil machine. Sort of like myself. And that’ll about do it as we get ready for the second half. Let’s take you down to Kevin Harland. Shout out to my main man Joel. What up? We’ve got second half action for you. And if the next couple quarters are similar to the first, this one could go down to the last possession. Curry has been sensational. Man, how about the amount he’s contributing in the scoring column through two quarters? He has been terrific. He always wants to be a go-to guy for them. I’m sure he’ll be calling for the ball even more in this half. And if you’re just joining us, we’ve played through the first half in a game that’s been fairly even so far. Outside the wings are Reeves and James. Hatimura out there with Jackson Hayes. And it’s Donic in at the point guard position. That’s the Laker five. Now here’s Butler. He dishes it to Curry. Oh, good on the three. And even against defense as tight as that, you almost expect him to still bury those. Oh, the officials are all over that one. The Lakers have gone nine of 10 from the line, so making the most of their chances. Heat. Heat. That free throw good from Donic. The all-around game of Donic is impressive. A walking triple double threat every night. Both free throws good from Donic. And so it’s Golden State with it. It’s a five-point game. Outside Curl at the elbow. Payton. Six on the shot clock. Butler from outside. Go Linkres with the rebound. Gonic has got five rebounds tonight. And that’ll be two free throws coming up. Officials on the call with the foul. These are his third and fourth free throw attempts of the game. Yeah. And he wasn’t someone you wanted to foul if you were defending him last season. 85% is what he made from the line. And he knocks down the first one. Both shots good from the strike. And about a minute of action so far in the third quarter. Pass to Butler. looking to get it going. Hatchim grabs the miss. Lakers leading by seven. Green with the block. No matter what night it is, Green seeks to intimidate and more often than not succeed. The Lakers shooting straight 49% from the field. And here’s Donic from the arc. Drills the three-pointer. Donic has got five points in the quarter. Unwilling to let up even for a moment. That’s his killer instinct. Just fanning the flank. Always plays hard until the final whistle no matter what the situation is. Butler finds Pompeki and the basket is good. Pompeki’s got 12. Coming off a big game, his confidence couldn’t be higher and coach knows it. When it ain’t broke, leave it alone until someone stops him. Just let him roll. Special. There just aren’t many guys like him who can accelerate to the rim and finish in style. And here is Butler. He has seven. Hatton. And the rejection by James. Six to shoot. Goes back up. Here’s Green and finally they hit one. He has six. Relentless. You will never outwork Draymond. And here’s Donic from the arc. It’s rebounded by Payton. Payton’s got four rebounds now tonight. Here’s Curry. That’s good. And it’s Payton with the assist. Payton’s got three assists now in this one. They didn’t have much of a problem getting the ball into the post that time. Near the three-point line, it’s Donuch. Makes that one his sixth of the night. showing a very healthy six for nine. The skill of Donic at 67 230, it makes him an impossible matchup defensively. Timeout called the Warriors. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. on defense. The Lakers. Their defense has only allowed six points in the second half. Curry against Donic. Pass to Butler. Down to five on the shot clock. Squeeze. And it’s Golden State with another. And the release of Butler’s jumper. It’s so smooth. He has no problem knocking it down from mid-range. and he lobbs it up toward the rim. Oh, what a pass. And then he lays it in with the circus move. So smooth. And here’s Curry who brings it up for the Golden State Warriors. Trailing here by eight. James against Payton. Pass to Pajki. Shot clock at five. That shot off the mark. Lakers leading by eight. To the inside, Hatchima. Jimmy Butler pulls it in. Butler’s got his fifth rebound in this one. Here’s PMski. He’s defended by Reed. Back to Pajki from the arc. Good. in. Butler gets the assist. Butler’s got five assists in the game. You give a shooter of his caliber that much time to seal it up. Oh yeah, you’re done. Now here is Hetche Murray to the middle. Reeves outside, lays it up and banks it in. Reeves has got nine points. used the pick to perfection and got all the way to the rim. Butler against Hatchima and it’s Butler missing. LA has gone one and two from beyond the arc since coming out of the break. James the pass to Donic. James gets inside and finishes. Now look, a coach is going to trust LeBron James to just put up monster numbers cuz that’s who he is. But it is nice to see him get into a nice move like this. Golden State moving it around. A step back shot here. Here’s Butler in the paint. Butler. Strong move by Butler making sure that was a quality possession. Lakers leading by seven. James with it. 20 points for him. And the pass to Reeves. Out to Donic. Curry with the steel. Curry finishes off the break. And once Curry swipes it, he’s off to the races. Terrific initiative. And the officials say it was a backcourt violation. Not very careful there. Dorian Finny Smith’s checked in for Jackson Hayes. You got it. Got a piece of it and stolen by James and that one clearly a foul. Gets the whistle and two shots coming up. Jonathan Kaminga picks one up. And LeBron used to getting hit. This is the level of attention this man attracts from the D. And a moment to look at the scoring approach in terms of where the points are coming from for the Lakers. Look, they’re getting good looks inside. It’s been a point of emphasis all night long, but I love this hard-nosed attitude of this team. And something else that stands out is how efficient they’ve been from the mid-range, making the most of their opportunities. First free throw is good. Some changes for the Lakers. Vanderbilt comes in for Hatchima and it’s connect in for Austin Reeds. The Warriors also with a sub. Heels checked in. That one misses. Warriors trail by six. Down low. Here’s Moody. Well timed pass and he goes straight to the bucket for the layup. And that’s 11 points for Moses Moody. He finds a shooter in motion and is confident he can threat him with the lead pass. Well done. And it’s Donic missing. Warriors have gone eight of 16 in the third quarter to put their second half shooting percentage right at 50%. Richard with Buddy Heo. We’re talking about one of the best shooters in the NBA. No question. He is a marksman. He’s going to have to be a mercenary though. He is the type of an outside threat that every team needs. I don’t care what the offensive system is. Buddy Hill will find a way to score. The Warriors have shot 10 of 13 from the free throw line. Shoot two and the first one drops. And you know with Curry what impresses me most is his efficiency. That’s not something we normally see in a high volume jump shooter. Looking at who’s out there now for the Lakers. Good one comes in for James and Vincent subbed in for Luca Donic. Good on both. And here is Los Angeles now. At one point they led by 16. Kaminga bounce pass. Here’s Curry and two free throws coming up. Unable to get that one to go with all the content. This just demonstrates how fearless Curry is. Look, he knows how to get inside and draw plenty of fouls. This will make four trips to the line so far in the game. Shooting two. The first one falls. And it’s tied up with that one. And the Lakers call time here. Yeah, things not going their way. And he wants to just try to talk this one over. Good timeout if you ask me. They have the momentum and coach wants to find a way to try and stop it. Heat up here. for Los Angeles. They’ve gone six of 10 from the field in the third quarter. Now Vincent uses the glass to finish the layup. Given the size disadvantage, you have to have a lot of confidence to take that shot. And I like his belief in his game. Go at the taller defender, make him react to you. Moody. And again, it’s the Warriors missing. And it’s Goodwin with the ball for the Lakers. The lead is two. And Moody pulls it down. Golden State’s gone one of four in three-point shots here in the third. Floats it up for Kaminga. That shot misses. Yeah, and that was lining up to be a huge alleyoop, but they just couldn’t quite connect. just go to show how tight your timing needs to be on this kind of play. They get it again. Oh, that’s blocked. Now here’s Curry. Defended by Vincent. Pass to Post and a great assist by Curry as that one goes in. Post has got the game tied up here for the Warriors. Here’s Vincent. passes to Vanderbilt. Back to Vincent. Five to shoot. He lobbs it up and the dunk by Vanderbilt. And you can see him give a little nod and then just burst to the rim for the alioop slam. A pair of teammates, Greg, with a terrific feel for each other. Here’s Post. Now here’s Moody. Vanderbilt with the block. Pass to Vincent. Good. Now it’s a four-point Laker lead. I like the intention, the focus, finding a way to make it work inside. To the paint. Here’s Moody. That shot was off. The Lakers shooting it beautifully here in the third. 56% from the field. Back to Vincent and he uses the glass on the layup. Vincent’s got six here in this quarter. I mean, he makes plays like that in his sleep. The game is just far too easy. And the Warriors miss again. Yeah, and he had the D tangled up there with that patented crossover. Just couldn’t convert the finish. And there’s the pass to Finny. Smith. First three corners off the mark. Warriors trail by six. Outside curve knocks it loose and it’s out of bounds. Last touch by Curry. James checked in for the Lakers. Anjic comes in for Good. Lakers leading by six. We’ve got 128 left in the third. Anj passes to Vincent. kicks it out to James. Four on the shot clock. Let’s go. The rebound by Heel. That was a good look for him from mid-range, but just couldn’t make the defense better. Outside Curry pass to Moody and the rejection by LeBlanc. in with it. He’s got eight. Donich passes to LeBron. Back to Donic to the middle. It’s tipped. It’s going to be out of bounds. Los Angeles will retain possession. The Lakers making a switch here. Reeves is checked in. 36 seconds left in the third quarter. Shot clock at three. Ah, LeBron brushing off the contact. And nothing gets past LeBron. I mean, makes a play before the clock runs out. Pass to post and Jared Vanderbilt gets the whistle that time. That’ll be his second foul of the game. Curry against Donic. Pass to Moody. Can they get it? And that’s just good effort that time by LeBron James on the defensive end to the inside. Vanderbilt and the dunk by Vanderbilt. He may not have that traditional power forward build, but his bounce, well, that kind of levels the playing field. And here at the end of the third quarter, it’s a double- digit ball game. Lakers lead by 10. And don’t go away, we’ll be back momentarily. And a moment now as we take a look at our State Farm assists of the game. Just true artistry right there. I mean, great decision on where to go with the ball. And how about the perfect delivery? A lot of times a spectacular pass is more impressive than a spectacular shot. This is one of those times. Fourth quarter of action is upon us. Thanks as always for joining us. And Reeves has got the ball here for the Lakers. At one point they led by 16. On the court for Golden State here in the fourth out there with heel. Then there’s Jonathan Kaminga. Then there’s Draymond Green. And it’s Butler in at the four shot. Reeves finds Donic. Donic knocks in the three. And we’re so used to Donic operating with the ball in his hands, but it’s good to see him mix it up and work off the catch. Pass to Pajki. Healed way outside and he can’t answer back. The three-pointer offline. Lakers lead by 13. Reeves. The pass to Donic and the rebound goes to the Warriors. Now Pajimski kicks it to Butler. Butler on the move. Rebounded by the Lakers. Hayes has got rebound number 12 here already in the game. two. The first free throw is good. and Reeves drops them both. A little over a minute of the fourth quarter gone right now. Outside Green Golden State moving the ball around inside. Here’s Kaminga. And Kaminga throws it down. And no doubt they’d love to see him get a lot more of those opportunities. And that deficit will go away quickly if he does. Greg, clearly a foul. Two shots. Last and he knocks down the first one. So, he picks up just one from the line that time. Richard, when it comes to Draymond Green, we know about his defense, but what does he give you offensively? I think it starts with his passing. Not many big men can do what he does the way he does it. And especially effective when he’s hitting the three ball, stretching the floor, allowing for more space for his shooters. Here’s Hatchimal. Some solid defense from Butler. And he did everything he could to make that shot as difficult as possible. Excellent D. Avoided fouling and got in perfect position to alter that shot. Now here’s Kaminga. Healed outside. Just five to shoot over Reeves. They get the rebound. That one’s in there. The Lakers lead is cut to just nine points on the basket from Green. That’s just bully ball. Green knows where he wants to go and no one can do anything about it. Here’s Donic and he can’t bank that one in. Golden State’s gone one and two from three-point range here in the fourth. outside. Kuminga back to Pajki. Hayes with the steel. Here’s Reeves. And the layup’s good off the glass. Reeves has got four this quarter. Warriors trail by 11. And here is heel. Pass to Pajki. Butler with the ball. He’s covered by Hatchima 8 ft away and the Warriors tack on two more and just a step ahead of the D in that possession there making the pass. Nice assist. Timeout called the Lakers and team strategies closely guarded. One aspect of the game the fans aren’t always privy to and we see it so often. One little tweak to the game plan and everything falls into place for a team. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Payton, he’s checked in for the Warriors. And now the latest from our reporter, David Aldridge. Hey guys, JJ Reick’s message with his team was simple. Now they’ve been happy with the way the team is shooting. He reminded players to keep taking those threes that they’ve had some clean looks. And when that three goes in, it’s always a welcome sight, guys. All right, David. Thanks. And that one’s good. Hakimura. I love how under control is able to push his way through the contact and score. Nice work. Now here’s Payton. Healed outside. Pass to Penski. Down to five on the shot clock. And it’s denied. Butler against Hatche Murray. Here’s LeBron. Misses from close range. Warriors trail by 11. Outside Butler. The body control from Butler. Wow. So, it’s the Lakers now. Banjage outside. Pass to Hayes. Some nice passing here by Los Angeles. Vicious to James. Shot clock at six. Count the bucket. And he’s got a free throw coming up as well. And making it look easy. LeBron overwhelms the defense inside. free throw good. James. Warriors trail by 12. Down low. Hayes with the steel. And here’s the fast break. LeBron leading the way. Donic outside. What determination from Donic pushing his shot through despite some stiff defense to draw the foul. Two sides. That’s in the first. That free throw good from Donic. Stephen Curry. He’s check in for Buddy Heel. All free throws good from Donic. And it’s the Warriors with the ball. It’s a 14-point game. Left side. Butler shoots over Himura. It’s rebounded by Hayes. And so it’s Dunic with it. He brings it up for the Lakers. He watches it go through the hoop for his eighth make. Now eight for 14. When you allow good scorers to get uncontested shots at the rim, no wonder you’re losing. That’s a great possession. Put your best players in a position to succeed. Now here’s Butler. Payton right side. Just five on the clock. Pass to Pajki. to end the run. Score that one for him. His eighth field goal. Eight for 11 on a very accurate night. He can really stroke it from deep. You have to keep better tabs on him. Back to Donic. Rebound by Butler. Butler’s got six rebounds here tonight. AMK on the wing. Off target from outside. Lakers lead by 13. The pass to Himura. Green with the rebound. Green’s got 11 rebounds in the game. Pass to Pajki. Passes it to Butler. Over Reeves. Butler kicks to Kurt. The shots good on the assist by Butler. Butler’s got his seventh assist in the game. Well, Curry’s accuracy makes the mid-range easy pick as he just goes up, nails the shot with ease. And that one’s good. James has got 28 points for the game. Not surprised at all. He’s shooting it well and scoring points in budges. Butler dishes to Baiton and the rejection by LeBlanc Donic against Curry and again Los Angeles with a triple. When you’re guarding LeBron, you have to give him something. So the King, well, he’ll take a three-point basket. Curry against Donic. and hustle like that is why he leads this team in rebounds tonight. And let’s be honest, guys, rebounding is about want and he is playing with 110% effort. Warriors trail by 18. Lost to Green. Golden State moving the ball around now. The feed to Butler to stop the run. Got a piece of it. And now the fast break. Donets with the ball. He’s looking for Hayes and finds him. Hammers the alley crew. Wellrounded effort and they show no signs of letting up. Yeah, not just an impressive showing on offense but on defense as well. Executing their game plan perfectly. Now here’s Payton. And the passer and the Warriors miss again. And you can tell he thought he had a little more space but the defender was right there. did a great job closing the gap, making the shooter feel uncomfortable. Straight power, homie. I mean, he ripped it down with both hands. Absolutely a resounding dunk. Here’s PMski following the bucket by the Lakers outside. Green. Pass to Pajki. Butler kicks to Kurt. The Lakers with the rebound. Hayes has got his 16th rebound on the night. Here’s Donic. They get a bet. Hachimura and there’s two points. Working on the glass, paying off that time. And his coaches and teammates love that. They want Hachimura getting after it more on that offensive glass. Now a timeout called by Golden State. Well, it’s been an express lane to the rim. Coach can’t be happy about that. Yeah, we can see over here the coach, he has some choice words for his team. Words we cannot repeat. Heat up here. And now, let’s present our New Balance player of the game, LeBron James. And Kevin, it’s a no-brainer. He’s controlled every aspect of this game and and it’s just so fun to see a player perform at a level that’s just higher than anyone else out on the floor. He sure has given this crowd a treat tonight. This kind of performance only cements his status as a fan favorite. Golden State’s gone two or five on three-point shots since the end of the third quarter. To the paint, here’s Payton. There’s another block. A defensive stall. So far, that’s six blocks. Greg protecting the rim. Love the hustle. Passes it to Finn Smith. Lock at six. Out of bounds. Golden State takes possession. Warriors shooting at a decent 44% clip here. Outside Baiton pass to Pajki. Now Curry. And again, it’s the Warriors missing. Donic outside from down in the low post. It goes. Donic has got 16 here in the second half. Curry pass it to Green. Payton surveying the floor to the inside trying to get something going. Kaminga no good. And so Donic will bring it up for the Los Angeles Lakers. And as we head to the final buzzer here, a crushing blowout. Big- time dominance. And and this will go in the record books as a win for the Lakers. This was a team performing to its fullest capability. uh a a hugely satisfying win, a a game that not many will soon forget and on the other side, one that I think most will try to forget. And you know, looking back at all the contributions tonight, it was a really phenomenal all-around game for LeBron. He limited the opposing offense’s impact as well with some superb defense, finding lots of chances to knock away shots. Here’s Curry following the basket by LeBron James. Green dishes to Payton. Some nice passing by Golden State here. Great touch on the 16-footer. Curry’s got 30. Slick move by Curry with the ball. Getting the defenders off balance so he can find a shot. Pass to Reeves. Back to Dunic. and Donips throws it down. And credit the whole team. It was a focused, concerted effort to put this one away. And it felt like they just flipped the switch to go on that run and seal the game, saving their best basketball for the end. Always smart. Now here’s Paytonky on the wing. Five on the clock. tries it from 19 and it falls over the rim and in and man is he in a zone right now. Seems like he can’t miss. James looking around and when you look at the numbers for these teams, Brent, they both pile up assist. Those are some of the better teams to play for and are the most dangerous in terms of setting up your scheme defensively. Coaching staffs have a really hard time trying to get their team ready against an opponent that moves the ball as often as both of these teams do tonight. The starters for the Golden State Warriors, Curry and Pods make up the back court. Butler out there with Gary Payeyton second and it’s Green in at the five down low. Donic shot is good. Encouraging to see Donic sink the three. needs to keep doing this now. Curry passes to Peyton. Back to Curry. Three-pointer counted from distance. These teams are finding the range. Showing a lot of confidence. It seems like they’re going to find out who can make the deepest threes. Right now, it’s a shootout. Donic. No good. Well, he’s a guy they count on to produce from the mid-range. He doesn’t miss too many open looks from there. Here’s Pajki. No good. A bit long that time. Good offense beats good defense. Not always. A moment to hear from Alli Leforce. I did briefly speak with JJ Reic. I asked him specifically about Stephen Curry and what his defensive game plan is for him. And he told me I just talked with him about communicating out there, especially when the screens are coming. We can’t give Steph an inch in those situations. I think it’s fair to say we can expect to hear a lot of chatter out there tonight, guys. Thanks for that, Ally. And the Warriors with possession here. Following the score by the Lakers. Tipped. First quarter and about a minute and a half in. And he buries his first look. That’s just tremendous scoring instinct. So fun to watch him work in the half court. Butler with the ball picked up by Reeves. Oh, he took a hard foul on the shot. So, he’ll head to the line to shoot a pair. Well, Brett, there are only a handful of players in the league with the big game experience of Butler. Yeah. And those big games, BA, are where he’s had some of his best moments. It’s been on several different teams as well. So, the bigger the game gets, the bigger Jimmy Butler appears to show up. That’s good from Butler. You know, not too many teams have the stability at head coach as the Warriors have had. Brent, well, I’m not sure there’s ever been a more perfect fit for a team than Steve Kerr with the Golden State Warriors. It has been a magical run in the Bay Area. And you just look at the type of connectivity he has with his players and again how much joy these Warriors play with. Brent, you think about Jimmy Butler, great in the regular season, even better in the playoffs. Yeah, extremely tough. I mean, he has grit and resilience, but tough minded in the toughest moments. And that’s where his teammates rely on him. Jimmy Butler shows up big come playoff time. And a foul called on the way up. So, he’ll take two from the free throw line. Well, Grant, even though it looks like LeBron could play forever, he stated that he doesn’t have much time left. Well, it’s unbelievable that he sustained this level of excellence for as long as he has. I would be surprised if we see this type of longevity ever again. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. That free throw no good. You know, Grant, after losing in the first round last season, it felt like changes were inevitable for the Lakers. Yeah, making the playoffs isn’t enough for that franchise. They are all about championship success, and anything short of that is a failure. Good on the second one and around two minutes played here in the first quarter outside. Pajki pass to Curry from deep three-point land. The Lakers with a rebound. Aimura outside. James up top. Offensive board. Hey, shots good. Second chances are a great measure of what a team is doing in terms of their effort on a nightly basis. And that was some serious effort there. Now, here’s Pajki. Blocked. And so, it looks like the Warriors will retain possession here. Curry outside. Butler just five on the clock. Golden State needs to get off a shot. Yep, that one’s good. The defensive effort was lacking a bit, but hey, give them credit for finding a weakness there. just really smart basketball and exploiting whatever holes that he’s seeing right now in the defensive squad. Now here’s Dantic. Here’s James. The rebound by Payton. Warriors trail by three on the wing. Curry. Pass to Green. Now Butler. And here’s Curry guarded by Donic. Curry against Donic. Donic with a block. Defense at its best from Donic. Like to see him putting that much effort into his D. And so Curry will bring it up for the Golden State Warriors. Boom. He jams it straight down. Did you see that? I mean, going right to the rim. That’s how you finish in the open floor. Yeah. anything other than a layup in that situation. Probably disappointing. Had numbers, took advantage. Howard down after the assist, let him to the lane. This can make it so much easier for your teammate when you throw that lead pass that gets to him right on the money, whether that’s on the run or in the shooting pocket. Now here’s Donic. Aimura, the pass to Hayes. Knocked loose. It’s stolen by Green. Curry. Curry. Pass to Butler and that one’s good. Green with the assist. That is a tough two right there from Butler. Really is calling card. Rugged play and 100% effort. The Lakers call timeout. And let’s talk about Draymond Green for a moment. Certainly one of the most outspoken players in the league. Brent. Well, Draymond has never held back, whether he’s talking about his opinion or the way that he sees the game, which is remarkable and a revelation to his intelligence as a defender on the floor. Draymond Green has been special on the defensive end throughout his career. Heat. Heat. Lakers trail by three. Pass to Aimura. James. James outside. Count it. James has got five now. Rock the baby. Working the size advantage inside to the paint. Here’s Payton. Oh, and he got fouled on his way up. He’ll head to the line to shoot two. One thing this Golden State team does very well is control the offensive glass. spread. Well, there’s been a lot of talk analytically, BA, about how advantageous it is to come in and swoop through to grab offensive rebounds. Golden State has bought into that philosophy. They also have guys who take a lot of long shots. So, that’s long rebounds with a better chance of gaining an extra possession. So, some smart analytical play here from Golden State in the past couple seasons. And he knocks down the first one. Grant, how about that in season tournament win for the Lakers in 2024? Yeah, honestly, it just makes sense that the first of those trophies would land with a historic franchise like the Lakers. So, he gets them both. Lakers trail by three. Donic outside. Aimura in the post. Butler covering out to James. Five to shoot and down it goes. Two points. He has seven. LeBron patient there keeping the defense guessing. Maybe mixing up their coverages on the back end. Makes him very unpredictable in a pick and roll set. Now here’s Curry pass to Butler. The three is up and the Warriors miss again for Los Angeles. They’ve gone six of 11 so far. Donic passes to James. shoots over Curry. Oh, a beautiful finish by LeBron. James has got nine. And you are at the mercy of LeBron James once he gets that kind of positioning. Nice finish. Back to Curry. Oh, plenty of contact on that shot. Officials call the foul and he’ll take two free throws. Now it’s on LeBron James. No debate there. He got hammered. Well, Brent, it’s been a blessing to watch Stephen Curry in real time, but he’s the kind of player his highlights will stand the test of time for years. The best shooter that’s ever played the game. Yes, it’s been a real treat, BA, to watch all of that happened. But got to give credit to Steph. The early part of his career, shaky with the injuries, the confidence never wavered, and then all of the sudden behind these magical hands, the game had changed. First free throw is good. Brent, you could hit the three back in your day and no doubt Stephen Curry is the best three-point shooter in league history. What makes him so good from deep? To me, BA, it comes down to the way that Steph goes about his habits in practice. If you ever watch footage of him in pregame warm-ups or in the off season, there is so much variability in what he does in terms of preparing his feet and hands to shoot the basketball. There’s no one that practices the way that Steph does and there’s no one that produces the way that he does either. Now here’s Reeds over Moody. Here’s Vanderbilt. And it’s blocked by Butler. And Jimmy Butler has incredible defensive instincts. Great timing on that block. He almost brought the basket down on top of himself. Oh, there’s hang time and then there’s a time to hang. Timeout called the Lakers. And now that they have some time to get a little bit of rest, it’s time for these players to regroup while hydrating themselves with some Gatorade, looking to gain a boost of energy as they continue to play in this game. And staying hydrated is the only surefire way to do it. An athletes body doesn’t have the same power and stamina without proper hydration. These guys will be sure to use this timeout wisely. Heat. Heat. And some changes here for the Lakers. Good one comes in for Reeves and Vincent is subbed in for Donic. On defense, the Warriors hits a three-point game. Here’s Vincent. He takes it in. Oh, a nice onehanded slam right there. Wow. Always fun to see point guards who can elevate above the rim like that. Oh, a strong mindset and even stronger finish. Well, just seeking out weaknesses in the defense and then exploiting it. for Los Angeles. They’ve got eight of 15 shots to go past a good one. Laid it in with a nice touch off the window and the Lakers lead by one. And that play never gets old. The pick and roll will still be an offensive staple 100 years from now. Trust me. Moody passes to Curry driving inside. Gets it to drop. Now two of four. That’s a clever attack from Curry just finding an angle and he gets around the defender towards the basket. Shot is good. My good one. They keep capturing the lead then giving it back. We’ll see if they can hold on to it this time. Well, you can tell they really want to increase this lead. They can’t keep letting them take it from him. Now here’s Moody. And that one is stuffed right through. And the chess match continues. Seven lead changes already and we’re still in the first half. Now here’s Vincent. He’s covered by Curry. Here’s Connect and he lays it up and in. They’re punishing those late defensive rotations, getting good looks inside throughout the half. outside. Moody back to Butler. Clock at four and he gets it to go. Butler’s got six. I like Butler down low fighting for points. Vincent outside. Pass to Vanderbilt. Knocks it loose. In transition, here come the Warriors. And here’s Kinga for three. The Lakers with a rebound. Here’s Connect. Oh, and he brings it down with a two-handed jam. Oh man, this has been an absolute battle in the first half. Each team trying to establish itself. The lead just keeps going back and forth. Kuminga Fenny Smith pulls it in. The Lakers in the lead. Vincent with a ball. That’s a good one. Vanderbilt with it down low. Here’s Vincent off target at the rim. Golden State has gone one of four from deep. Outside Curry, outside Butler, outside Kaminga. The shot no good. Good D by Finny Smith. And for the Lakers, they’re shooting a phenomenal 60% in the first. And it’s Vincent off the drive. Oh, nice D from Curry. And so Curry will bring it up for the Warriors. They trail by one. And there’s Butler. That one’s good on the assist from Curry. Give him eight points now. And they keep trading punches. Both teams in a groove early. Who’s going to miss first? Every time one team scores, the other team right back at you. Now here’s Vincent. Gets it to drop. Now two of four. Nice move to get inside and create a good look for himself. The Warriors shooting 53% setting the tone right from the opening tip. The three from Curry hits the three-pointer. Curry’s got 10 points in the game. I mean, just so easy for Curry to get that three off. Beautiful shot. Vanderbilt against Butler. Good one. It’s rebounded by Golden State. Coach loves the execution. just not the result. That’s okay. That’s part of the process. Pass to Kaminga outside. Butler puts up a three. Golden State with a rebound. Great positioning on the putback. Woo! Hard work creating the second chance opportunity. Here’s Vincent and he’s going to the line for two. The officials saw contact while he was going up. It’s on Stephen Curry. First trip to the free throw line for him in this one. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. And he drops a first. Zoe picks up just one from the line that time. Outside Curry, the 11-footer doesn’t go that time. Yeah, my expectations were that he was not going to miss out when he handles that kind of defense, especially on the inside. And so lots of scoring in a competitive first quarter. Warriors ahead, leading by three. And we’ll bring you the start of quarter number two when we return. And it’s been a pretty even game here after one quarter of play. And from what we’ve seen here from the Warriors, what’s your take so far? Oh, what I love was that first quarter was all about leaking out and capitalizing in transition. Yeah, felt like they knew that there were openings in transition and just wanted to keep trying to feed that, get out quick. Well, Brent, Leaguewide, more and more points being scored. You see that tapering off at any point? BA with all the rule changes and what we’re seeing in terms of the skill set of players growing. I mean, the scoring is just going to keep going. How far can we go? I I don’t know. I feel like we’re talking off a little bit. The only way we’re going to score more points in a game is add more time to the clock. At the forward slots, it’s LeBron and Aimura. Austin Reeves out there with Luca Donuch. And it’s Hayes in at the center position. That’s the Laker 5. Now here’s Curry. left side. Moody outside heel takes a three. It’s Hayes with the rebound. Hayes has got his fourth rebound in this one. James outside Hayes. The pass to James. Second chance effort. Oh, Green with a block. And Green plays with tremendous edge on the defensive end of the floor. healed from outside after missing his first attempt. Now one for two. And a look at how the hustle game has been going for the Warriors. Well, their length and anticipation reflected in their shot blocking totals, making the extra effort to close things out. Well, one thing that’s noticeable is just tremendous energy from everybody and they put that into their transition play and all that hustle is paying off. A chance here to catch up with Ally from the sideline. Hey Brian, no surprise here. Stephen Curry hopes to be a Warrior for life. He said being a part of a group of legends that have played for one franchise, established a culture and won at the highest level and did it with a lot of different roster combinations. I don’t ever take that for granted. Brian, what a run. Yeah, it is a great run and he’s been the foundation. Ally, thank you. It’s rebounded by Los Angeles. Pass to James and it’s slammed in by Aimura and Hachimura at 6’8. No problem for him to get up. The Warriors lead by four. Outside Green. Moody on the wing. Checked by James. The three from Curry. And the Warriors with another three. That’s just a lapse right there. No matter what, somebody has to be there and get a hand up in the shooter’s face. Yo, right here. Right here. Curry against Donic. Hayes. The pass to Donic from downtown and it falls. Two for three from the field so far. And look at Luca now getting aggressive at the arc. He was eager to answer that last three. In 2024, Luca Donuch recorded six consecutive 30point triple double games. That’s right, BA. The first time anyone has done it in NBA history. So, if you didn’t already believe in Luca Magic, well, there’s some proof that the magic is real. Here’s James after the Warriors picking up a basket just a moment ago. No good. A lot of defenders choose to just back up off of him when he’s in that tight. Try to avoid the in one. And this time, they’re not backing off. Curry finds Kaminga over Reeves. Boy, he clanks that one off the back iron and it falls. And now it’s an eight-point Warrior lead. Los Angeles has gone one of two from deep in the second quarter. Pass to Aimura. Oh, Green with a block inside. Man, oh man. Kuminga with the easy bounce. Throws it down. leaping ability is off the charts. Not the biggest power forward, but outstanding at rising up off the ground. And the Lakers call time here. And the other team is running all over them right now. The timeout before the timeout here, maybe just to cut off the momentum and have a chitchat with the team to settle down. And some changes here for the Warriors. Jimmy Butler’s checked in for Kaminga and Payton is subbed in for heel. Warriors on D. 10-point lead. This is their biggest of the game. Reeves. The pass to Hayes. It’s stolen by Green. Here’s Moody. And he can’t bank that one in. And Reeves has got the ball here for the Lakers to the inside. Aimura. A pass to Reed. Here’s Donic. Oh, he nails that one. Three for four now. Yeah. From a tough spot on the floor. Luca shooting ability on display right there. Pass to Green. Left side. Peyton. Here’s Butler. Shot clock at six. goes back up and is blocked. And here’s James. Nine points in the game. The three ball gets rebounded by Golden State. And he just hasn’t been able to get it going this period. No, I haven’t seen him in in comfortable spots or at least spots we’ve seen in this offensive set that are allowing him to settle in. And trust me, when the D’s slow to react, he’ll be the first guy to make them pay. Well, I know they don’t have mobile devices out there for texting, so they might as well talk to one another. And Donic hammers it home. A guard that can truly do it all. Donic has tremendous power. Pass to Payton. James with the block. Donic on the wing. Hachimura outside. The shot is good. Donic making the play. Aimura’s got five points now in the quarter. Aimura already had that shot lined up. Curry passes to Green. Back to Curry. Donic for the block. On the wing, Reeves. Back to Donic. On the wing, Reeves. And another three for the Lakers. You can tell Donic trusts his teammates. He’ll get them looks and doesn’t insist on doing everything himself. Timeout called the Warriors. Let’s give coach credit. He’s trying to find a way to squeeze the most out of every possession. Got to feel good as a coach if you make all those adjustments. Pull the right strings. That’s what they love to do. Heat up here. Finny Smith checked in for the Lakers and Golden State also making a switch. Ajimsky’s checked in. Golden State has gone four of nine so far from the perimeter. Pass to Payton. No good. Had a chance to win the run there. For him, it’s harder to miss that shot than it is to make that shot. I think he was anticipating a bit of a bump there. Now Hayes and stolen by Green. Outside Pajki over Reeves. Now here’s Butler and it’s out of bounds. The Warriors able to retain possession here and Los Angeles making a change here. Vanderbilt’s checked in. Here’s Post. Pass to Peyton. Clock at six. Back to Butler. That one no good. Good D by Finny Smith. They are looking really strong offensively. Yeah, just terrific momentum. Let’s see if they can keep it up. Here’s Reeves. That one’s good. This game is all even. Reeves has got seven. Easy look when the defender isn’t fighting over the screen. Yeah, the coach over there just asking for one simple thing and that’s some effort. Got burned on that one. And it’s Butler knocking down the three. I don’t think there’s a moment on the floor that Jimmy Butler does not feel the utmost confidence. Caves inside guarded by Payton. outside. Reeves right side. Penn Fenny Smith and there’s a whistle that’s going to go on Jared Vanderbilt. That’s his first foul of the game. Connect checked in for the Lakers. Good one comes in for Reeves. The Warriors lead by three. Pass to Payton. Get there. Back to Curry. Launches it from deep. It’s rebounded by Goodwin. Would you say testing the limits of his range there? Well, I thought they played smart and then all of a sudden it was maybe a little too flashy there. And that uh that’s unfortunate. Golden State has gotten five of 11 threes to drop so far in this game. Here’s Pajki. Curry from deep three-point land. Vanderbilt pulls it in. Lakers trail by three. Here’s connect out to the right wing. Here’s Goodwin. The rebound by Post. Post has got four rebounds now. Curry with it. Guarded now by Finny Smith. Watching Curry is an education on how to take advantage of whatever the defense is throwing your way. And this will be his third and fourth free throws of the game here. And that one falls for Curry. Yeah. So easy to root for Stephen Curry because of how much fun he seems to have on the floor. Embraces the competition but is able to laugh it off when something doesn’t go his way. A lot of things do though. Vincent’s checked in for Luca Donuch. Both shots good from the strike. Productive trip to the line. He doesn’t like to leave points on the table. On the take. Here’s Goodwin. Pajimsky grabs the board. The Warriors lead by five. What a rookie year for Brandon Pimsky. A seamless transition into the league. You talk about a guy who could come in and contribute right away. I remember the stretch last year. He had three straight games with double doubles without a turnover. That’s some petty play for a rookie. Ozki, he’s got a great calmness and a great demeanor about him, but always willing to make the next play. And the shots good. Vincent’s got seven points in the game. And despite the height disadvantage, oh my, he just attacks that interior. Yeah, no stopping him on that play. Sometimes even the taller defenders are helpless to stop him. Lakers trail by five. Right wing. Here’s Goodwin. Pajimsky grabs the board. Golden State has gone three of six from outside in the second quarter. Pass to Curry. Butler taking his time here. Curry at the rim. An offense unto himself. Steph Curry just warping the defense. And here’s Vincent. Finny Smith with it. Here’s Goodwin defended by Pajimski. And it’s blocked by Butler. Outside Pimsky. A minute six left to play in the first half. On the wing. Curry. Six to shoot. Pajimky with it. Guarded now by Finny Smith. Pass to Butler. knocks down the long J. 16 points for him. And that’s how you share the ball. They got what they wanted and Butler put the finishing touches on it. Here’s Vincent and he got the whistle on the way up. So, he’ll be headed to the line for a pair. Los Angeles shooting their fifth and six free throws of the game. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. The first free throw is good. Jonathan Kaminga, he’s checked in for the Warriors. Heel comes in for Curry. Everybody comes off. That’s also good. So, he hits both free throws. A chance at a two for one. You have to find ways to use the clock to your advantage. Here’s Butler. Butler, he’s too much close to the rim. Jimmy Butler has great patience to go along with that strength to operate in the pick and roll. Henson passes to Vanderbilt. Back to Vincent from behind the ark. Pure from three-point range. Vincent’s got 12 points in the game. That’s the kind of passing you want there. Work the ball around. Keep it moving. Try to get an assist on every bucket. Oh, and there’s the whistle on the shot. So, two free throws for him coming up. Well, there are troublemakers out on the court. And Jimmy Butler is one of them. And I mean that as a compliment. He’s gone two for two at the line so far. And in their last game, he really distinguished himself at the free throw line. Two shots. The first one falls. Jimmy Butler and his energy is something that is infectious for his team. He gets his squad so energized to work through the toughest moments of the game. No good on the second free throw. Here’s connect outside. Finny Smith pass to Vincent. Oh, and the release was before the buzzer, but it’s off target. Jimmy Butler getting it done for the Golden State Warriors. 11 points in the quarter. He’s on fire. Back after this, the 2K Sports Halftime Show. Greetings to each and every one of you watching at this very moment. Uh, I’m Ernie Johnson. Kenny the Jetsmith is here. Shaq is here. One half is behind us. Welcome to the 2K Sports Halftime Show. Big time play throughout the first half for Jimmy Butler. He ended up with 19 points, three rebounds, and one steal. Hey big fella, what’s your take on Golden State so far? Well, what I like the ball never stopped moving, nor did the players. Everyone working in unison playing for one another. Love the brand of basketball. We’ve got a whole another half to go. I’m so excited. I’m so excited. I’m so excited. And Kenny, let’s get your thoughts on the Lakers. I felt they had a lack of intensity defensively. They gave up way too many threes. I mean, somebody needs to pull out the fire holes because this fire is out of control. And it certainly wasn’t because of their defense. And that’s a wrap for our halftime show. The third quarter just about to get started. Well, for those just tuning in, thanks for being with us. Second half of this game still to play. It has been one outstanding game from Jimmy Butler. Oh, he’s been their defensive anchor so far, stifling shots left and right. been aggressive to block shots, but also avoiding fouls. That’s a that’s a heavy presence inside and happy you could join us. We’ve got two quarters left to go in regulation. And so Curry will bring it up for Golden State. Kick it off the second half. Here’s Steve Curr’s five. Curry and Pods make up the back court. Gary Peyton the second is out there with Butler and it’s Green in at the five. Now here’s Donic. And the bucket counts and he is on his way to the line. He’ll try to make it a three-point play. Los Angeles shooting their seventh attempt at the foul line in this one. shooting one. That’s good from Donic. And Don is a walking triple double threat. His versatility and confidence is really special. Curry against Donic. Here’s Green. Some solid defense from Hayes. Lakers trail by five. James deciding where to go with it. Curry against Donuch. Nice finish from Luca. And when he puts it all together, look at the kind of night Luca can have. Wow. Here’s Curry. Here’s Pajki. And again, it’s the Warriors missing. I know he’s on a cold streak, but he can’t let that get in his head, especially if you’re a player that doesn’t get a lot of shot attempts, but otherwise, the mindset is I just got to get the next one to go. And you don’t want to put that much pressure on yourself. Aimura finds Hayes. Just five to shoot. Now James from deep three-point range and the rebound goes to the Warriors. Green’s got four rebounds in the game. Pass to Curry. Now here’s Butler. Majimky with it. Now Curry fires from the wing and he gets the friendly roll as that one goes. Curry’s got 19 points. Lakers trail by five outside Reeves. Back to Donic in the paint. Luca. Oh, Luca is so skilled at using his body to create good looks inside. A little under two and a half minutes gone by in the third quarter. Outside, Pajki takes the three and a great assist by Butler as that one goes. Butler’s got his fourth assist in this one. Can’t talk enough about the subtleties in that setup right there. The assist really the key to that entire sequence. Now here’s Aimura. Five points in the game. Now James outside Reeves. Lets it fly. Tries again. Punching it inside. LeBron pounding the offensive glass. That’s a winning strategy from LeBron. No shock. Curry against Donic. Curry passes to Butler over Ashimura. Butler can’t get it to go. Lakers trail by four. It’s stepped. Payton with a steal. Right side. Green. Pass to Curry. Peyton with it. Butler up top. Got a piece of it. Fast break. Here come the Lakers. Donic on the wing from 11 ft away. Buries the jump shot. And now just a two-point warrior lead. And how about the handles Luca has. Phenomenal at creating scoring opportunities for himself. Golden State calls timeout. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. And the Warriors making a switch here. Moody’s checked in. Green against Hayes. Pass to Pajimski. Back to Green. There’s the three. It’s rebounded by Los Angeles for the tie. And so he draws the foul. headed to the line to shoot a pair. So hard to contain LeBron. He’s explosive and clever and unpredictable. It’s kind of a nightmare for any defense. And a chance to catch up on some numbers here. The scoring breakdown for the Warriors. Well, the coaching staff has to love what they’re seeing on offense. There’s so many assists because how this team is moving the ball. You also have to admire the way they’ve gotten out and run in transition. And they’ve run wide. They’ve run their lanes. They’ve been doing it with a great pace and that’s produced some easy scores and it’s tied up with that one. The Warriors have gotten just 25% of their shots to fall since the half. Two for eight. Pass to Butler and he was fouled while in the act of shooting. So he’ll take two free throws. It’s on LeBron James. The pump fake can still be used. This just in. And Butler with a great up fake to keep the defense off balance. He’s made three or four free throw attempts in this game. That one’s off. And no luck that time either. And for him, that is an ugly trip to the line. Rarely do you see him do that. And it’s James with the jab. Not the first and certainly not the last time we see this. LeBron finding air space. And so it’s Butler who brings up the ball for the Golden State Warriors. Two-point game. To the middle. Here’s Pajinski. And the layup is good. Off the glass. Pajimski’s got five points in the quarter. When it’s this close, every bucket matters. You need good looks. On the wing. Reeves. Moody defends. And the whistle on the shot. Got some contact there. Misses the shot, but he’ll shoot two. I like that. I mean, some physical play inside. He’s not about to give up any easy baskets. These are his first free throws of the game. And that one falls for Reeds. And so Reeves nails both of them. Golden State has got seven of their 16 three-point attempts to go in. Outside Green pass to Peyton outside. Moody fires from deep. Rebound by the Lakers. Hayes has got his eighth rebound here tonight. Here’s Reeves and he drops in the layup off the glass. Reeves has got 11. Well, the analytics would say take either that shot or something from downtown. Butler up top. Aimura covering pass to Green. Moody on the wing. Give him eight points now. Six on the shot clock. Here’s Pajki. Let’s go with a three. Good. And Butler gets the assist. Butler’s got five assists in the game. Just a great setup there. You can see how Jimmy Butler enjoys making plays and finished off by Hayes. Yeah, these teams are playing with incredible energy. At least in the second half, they have been. The first half wasn’t played anywhere near this intense now. A timeout called by Golden State. They’re giving up a lot of points in the paint. That’s something they have to address here. Yeah, coach knows that. They know that in the timeout they’re going to hear about it. Make the adjustment. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. And some changes here for the Lakers. Finny Smith’s checked in for Hayes and Vanderbilt is subbed in for Achimura. Jonathan Kaminga, he’s checked in for the Warriors. He comes in for Payton. It’s going to be on LeBron James. That’ll get him his fourth foul of the game. Now here’s Pajki. Give him eight. One more. down low. Stolen by Vanderbilt. Well, a little head scratcher there, guys. There’s no reason to force the ball in. Get out of the way. Wow. Sometimes LeBron just likes to take it all out on the rim. That time on display. Warriors trail by five. With it. inside. Here’s Kaminga. Oh, Kaminga. Just a menace inside. Those interior passes can be dangerous sometimes, but if the timing is good and you executed there, you can get easy hoops. Vanderbilt. The pass to Reed and the foul is called. He missed it. So, he’s got a couple of free throws coming his way. And a chance to catch up on some numbers here. The hustle stats for Los Angeles. Yeah, they’ve done a great job of challenging every shot they can. Their totals in the block column are a result of that aggression. You also have to admire the way they’ve gotten out and run in transition. And they’ve run wide. They’ve run their lanes. They’ve been doing it with a great pace and that’s produced some easy scores. And that one falls for Reeves. Vincent checked in for Dantic. And so Reeves nails both of them. Warriors trail by five. Outside PMski pass to heel. Here’s Pajki on the wing. Back to Moody. Moses Moody up strong for the jam. Oh, what ferocity on the throw down. I just love when he goes up with purpose. Where was the D right there? The effort lacking big time. There’s some ways to get your coach’s attention and that draws the coaching staff’s eye. Five on the clock. Here’s Vincent. Pajimky grabs the board. Pajimski’s got four rebounds in the game. Pass to Moody for the tie. James with the block. What a denial. LeBron attacking that shot with pinpoint accuracy. I just love how he runs the floor with energy and intensity, but still stays under control. Yeah, you think he’s comfortable at that speed. He’s done it so many times before. Just an absolute blur in transition, and that helps get the rhythm going. And he’ll be shooting his first free throw. And the Lakers with some changes. Connect comes in for James. And Good is subbed in for Reeves. Warriors trail by six. And here’s healed. Pajimky with it. Vincent picks him up. Now here’s Pajki. He’s closely guarded. Misses from close range. Los Angeles has gone five of eight from outside the three-point line on this one. Vanderbilt to pass to Goodwin. And it’s going to be a 3second call. LeBron, he’s checked in for the Lakers. Golden State has gone two of six from downtown here in the second half. Here’s Post. He’s marked by Finny Smith. Post shot no good. Los Angeles leading by six. LeBron with the slam. LeBron James knows he can get around anyone at any time. So that time, nice work with the dribble. It’s Pajki on the wing. Oh, nice finish from the low block. That one’s good. But Jimky’s got 10 points here in the second half. The Lakers shooting a fantastic 57%. Here’s Goodwin guarded by Heel. Kept alive. Here’s Vanderbilt. Pass to Good. Down to five on the shot clock. And there’s a whistle. He’ll head to the line to shoot two. That one on healed. First one falls for him. And Los Angeles making a change here. Donic checked in. No good on the second. So he hits one of two. Warriors trail by seven. Ah, take a break. Take a break. Two shots. And the first one at the line is good. Reeves has checked in for Goodwin. And that’s good as he hits both shots. Los Angeles leading by five. Donic passes to Penny Smith. And he gets the bucket. Now he’s too good a finisher to blow that kind of chance, but that’s going to be a wakeup call to the defense. healed against Reeves and the officials will call the illegal screen here. The screener was leaning a bit right there. His feet may not have been planted. Pretty obvious call by the officials. Got to hold firm or you’re going to get a call. And the Warriors making a switch here. Curry’s checked in now. Here’s Donic. He’s got 19. Oh, Donic unfased by the defense. Oh my. Tight defense, but Donic just muscles it in. Pass to post. Moody with it. James is there. Moody passes to Heel and the three off target. And James has got the ball here for Los Angeles. Donic feeling it out a bit. Now here’s Reeves guarded by Heel. The officials were right on top of that one. He’s had four chances at the line. He’s made them all. Too And he makes a first. and so Reeves nails both of them. Warriors trail by 11. There’s 45 seconds left in the third. That’s a good effort from Curry just jumping right into the key, not minding who’s around and getting the call. This is his third trip to the free throw line in this game. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. And the first one at the line is good. Draymond Green. He’s checked in for the Warriors. And so Curry nails both of them. Here’s Donic. 21 points in the game. There’s 38 seconds left in the third. Here’s James and it’s out of bounds. Last touch by Moody. 27 seconds left to play in the third quarter. Healed against Reeves. Shot clock at six. Donic on the wing. Steph getting a little bit nasty on the defensive end there. Not letting his man get comfortable on that possession. Fires the three. No good. Would have counted had it gone. And so it’s Los Angeles with a nine-point cushion at the end of the quarter. Getting lots of great looks. Shooting it well. That’s why they’re up. We’re coming right back. Don’t go anywhere. The fourth quarter has arrived. So good to have you with us. The Lakers lead by nine. Reeves at the two with LeBron at the three. Rui Hachimura is out there with Jackson Hayes and it’s Donuchin at the one spot. That’s the Laker five going to work now from the mid-range. LeBron’s going to take whatever the defense gives him. And here are the Warriors now after the Lakers picking up a basket just moments ago and the bucket is good. Los Angeles has gotten five of their nine attempts from deep to go. Reeves against heel. The shot by Reeves. No good. Warriors trail by nine. Get there. Get there. Outside. Payton to the inside. Green. The pass to Heel. James against Peyton. Here’s Green. LeBron with the rebound. James has got nine rebounds now. The layup off target. The Warriors shooting 46%. A decent average so far. Curry shot his own. Well, maybe not the best shot against that kind of defense, but he still has the ability to knock that kind of shot down. Oh, not the defensive effort they need to cut into the lead. Boy, good call. You have to at least try to protect the rim. Good job to recognize the opportunity. That’s just very solid offense. Yeah, that’s one way to get back into this game. Keep getting him the ball and let him make the shots. Here’s Reeves. Here’s Hayes. And there’s the bucket. Staying with it that time. Offensive glass getting it done. And there he is. I mean, attacking the boards, converting off the misses. I mean, trying to do everything he can to secure this W. I just don’t see how you climb back into the game when you’re allowing plays like that to happen. Extra work on the offensive glass. Heel finds Curry. Shot clock at five. Man, the defender really went after him. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. And that one falls for Curry. Pajimky’s checked in for Heield. and so Curry nails both of them and Donic has got the ball here for the Lakers. A touch under two and a half minutes of pass now here in fourth and finished off by Hayes attacking the rim with power. Tremendous finish to the paint. Here’s Kuminga off with the layup. The Lakers lead by 11. James left side. Oh, two vicious points from the King. And another great performance here from LeBron on the offensive end. Man, that is the norm. Pass to Green now. Pajimki. He’s covered by Reeves. Steps back and fires. Blocked. Here’s Aimura. Doesn’t go for him. Excellent D there from Kuminga. Outside Payton. Now here’s Curry. Here’s Green. Oh, look at Draymond flexing with that finish. That’s a tough one there from Draymond Green. As tough as they come. Reeves. The pass to Donic. Shoots over Curry. No good. In and out. Off the rim. When it goes in, it looks pretty. When it doesn’t, you question the shot difficulty. He’s been accurate tonight. I think the best way for them to succeed is to get him more shots. Sounds simple, but it comes down to execution. Now, here’s Dodgers. Pass to James. So, it’ll be two free throws. He was fouled in the act of shooting. Just shake your head at the size of LeBron James. And once he gets into the paint and gets pinalled around, he gets that contact and finds free throws. Two shots last. The first free throw is good. that one misses. Warriors trail by 10. Pass to Green outside. Pajki. Curry surveys. Down to five on the shot clock. Here’s Payton. It’s hauled in by Luca Donuch. The Lakers lead by 10. To the inside and it’s Hayes that time on the assist from Donic. Donic has got his fifth assist in this one. Curry against Donic. Outside Payton outside Curry. Pass to Kaminga for three. Rebound by the Lakers. Machimura left side. And here’s Donic outside. They get the rebound. Hayes. Hey, he’s now six for six. He is cooking right now. And when you’re the ones trying to fight your way back into the game, you simply cannot allow second chances. Yeah, those are tough. You get back into the game by working harder than the other team, not the other way around. They’re just going to extend this lead. Now, here’s Kuminga. Oh, Kuminga strong like bull showing off the touch with the exquisite finger roll. Donic outside. And there’s the call. It’s going to be an illegal screen. You can get away with one once in a while, but it looked like he wasn’t completely set on that pick. Yeah, a quick little lean like that is going to get the ref’s attention. Foul called. Curry against Donic. Pass to Kaminga. Three-pointer. No good. Los Angeles leading by 12. Down low and finished off by Hayes. And the lead increases on a crazy offensive sequence. Man, the dunk alone would have been incredible. Let alone the fact that it came off a pinpoint pass. And the Warriors call time here. You got to like what we’re seeing from LeBron James. Yeah, smart move here. Talk things over. He’s really eating them up. And they’ve tried a few different looks defensively. Nothing quite getting it done. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Let’s take a moment to present the New Balance player of the game, LeBron James. I tell you, some people can score and some people can scope and unquestionably he was able to skull tonight. Man, the defense had no chance. They couldn’t contain him and he took full advantage. Boy, you can see the amazing relationship he’s built with the hometown fans, and it motivates him to always give them his very best. And from the sideline, let’s catch up with Ally. I was able to listen in on what Steve Kerr had to say to the team. Coach wanted his guys to ignore the scoreboard. He said, “Don’t even look at the numbers. Just take it possession by possession. Make every chance count, and we’ll see where we stand at the end of this game.” Back to you guys. Okay, good stuff. Thank you, Ally. Warriors trail by 16. Go. Green. The pass to Peyton. And here is Kaminga. Here’s Pajki. Outside. Curry. Donic. Pulls down the board. Donic has got six rebounds now in the game. James outside. Pass to Aimura. The shots good on the assist by James. And the Lakers lead by 18. They’re really dictating the tempo on both ends of the court. You love it. Yeah, the other team a bit concerned here. They’re trailing and the lead seems to be growing inside. Nice assist and nice finish. Solid play all the way around. And Hachimura is such a skilled four/3 man. Good at using his size to take advantage there. Peyton up top. Pass to Kaminga and they call an illegal screen here. You can get away with one once in a while, but it looked like he wasn’t completely set on that pick. Yeah, a quick little lean like that is going to get the ref’s attention. Foul call. And the Warriors making a switch here. Butler’s checked in. Los Angeles leading by 20. Donic up top. He’s covered by Curry. Hit the perimeter. Donic passes to James. Here’s the three. They grab their own miss and they pick up two. Hayes has got 14 points now in the second half. He seems to be in the right place at the right time more often than anybody that’s on the court here tonight. We see that pay off. Here’s Butler. Eight makes out of 15 shots. He’s got it going and attacking and playing with intensity. Jimmy Butler, a ferocious competitor. Donic against Curry. Another shot. Curry with the block. Go outside. Butler on the wing. Curry over James. Curry no good. And so it’s James with it. He brings it up for Los Angeles. Oh man, putting points on the board. The defense being tough on Hachimura. Two, two. And he knocks down the first one. And both free throws good for Achimura. Golden State has gone 0 for two from outside here in the fourth quarter. Pass to Butler. It’s Pajki on the wing over Reeves. Oh, and there’s the whistle on the shot. So, two free throws for him coming up. Austin Reeves picks one up. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. The first one falls. Good on both. Here are the Lakers with the ball. They’re on a 17-6 run now. Donic. Oh, there’s the alley. It’s stolen away to the middle. Here’s Butler. Rebound by the Lakers. Now here’s Donic. That shot missing. Good D by Payton. Warriors trail by 20. Pajimsky with it. Pass to Butler. That one’s good for two. Butler’s got 23 points and his fantastic performance from the last game has carried over to tonight. Yeah. And the coach pretty smart for zoning in on him and giving him opportunities to stay with that confident play. Now here is James. Shot from the top of the key. Good. He hits the jumper. 28 points for him. Really feels like they’re in control. They’ve got a big lead with time dwindling. Yeah. Looking for a miracle worker out there. Is the opposing coaching staff. I don’t know that they have one. This game seems to be well in hand. Shot is good by Curry. Curry’s jumper just so pure. He can go up from just about anywhere on the floor and knock him down. It looks like it’ll be a big win for them here. Time to just cruise to the end of the game and chalk up the victory for the Lakers. And the huge difference today, the efficiency from beyond the ark. Yeah, once they started hitting shots, it stretched out the D and opened up the entire offense. Now here’s Green. Pass to Pimsky. Peyton with it. He’s defended by Hayes. Clock at six. from 11 ft away again with the block. A defensive stalward so far. That’s six blocks. Protecting the rim well. Love the hustle. Aimura outside over Butler and it’s Aimura missing. Well, he wanted to keep that shot from getting blocked, but in the process he gave it no chance of going in because of how unbalanced he was on the fade. Now here’s Curry pass to Butler over Ashimura. Ashimura with a rebound. And here’s Donic. And so it’s the Lakers easily grabbing this one. They didn’t have too many problems tonight. They didn’t. Just a tremendous team effort. Once they had that big lead, they were not going to let the visitors back into the game. And that Clark, it’s tough to wear down either team in this matchup because of their depth. And Kevin, you’ve got to give both front offices a ton of credit. I mean, you got to find guys and try to be economical about it. and they need to be able to play important minutes for you. It’s a little more art than science and kudos to both of these front officers. Now, Golden State’s starting five. In the back court, we’ll see Curry and Pajki. Payton is out there with Butler and it’s Green in at the pivot spot, manning the middle. Now, here’s Curry after Luca Donic’s missing to Green. James against Payton. There’s the three. That one’s in. His first shot this game. And they don’t want to get in a habit of giving him open looks from three. First quarter still, but not who you want to leave open. Reeves with it. He’s defended by PMski. Pass to Hatchima. Good for the basket. Starting off one for one with that shot. Understanding how to burn the defense in those sets. Hashimura doesn’t rush anything. Lets the play develop naturally. Now here’s Butler. Here’s Payton to the middle. Pompeki Lakers with the rebound. And and typically he has the touch to finish when he’s in tight, but not sure on that possession. Here’s James. And so it looks like the Lakers will retain possession here. Little over a minute 30 into this first quarter and the shot goes in. That’s the weight room strength of Donic right there. Fully displayed. Takes it to Green. Pass the buff. to the inside. Here’s Payton. It’s hauled in by LeBron for Los Angeles. They’ve gone two for four from the field so far today. Here’s Hatchima. Some solid defense from Butler. The Warriors have gone one of three from the field to start this one so far. And that one’s good. Green inside. Green can be very aggressive and physical, allowing him to do work scoring the ball. And now we’ve got some time to check in from the sidelines. What do you got for us, Da? Well, Kevin, Los Angeles’s head coach gave me a few minutes. He talked about a lot of things, including how to try and slow down Steph Curry. He said it’s the usual stuff. You can’t go under screens. You have to contest without fouling. You have to recognize he will put the ball on the floor and drive if you overplay him. That’s a lot to account for, guys. Thank you, David. One thing about the Lakers, Clark, over the last couple seasons, they get themselves to the free throw line. Yeah. And a lot of that is due to the fact they’ve got some real creators in their lineup. Guys who can attack off the dribble at multiple positions from multiple angles and that creates pressure for the defense. Wow. Here’s Curry after Luca Donuch’s miss. And that one is good. Payton’s got five. Oh, perfect timing there to knock down the teardrop. LeBron James on the wing and Payton sends it back. They push it up. Four on three. Here’s Curry. It’s rebounded by Hayes. Lakers trail by five and stolen by Butler. Outside Green. There’s the feed to Butler. Out of hand on it and he gets it back. cross contact on the shot and now a three-point play chance as he’ll head to the line. And let’s take a moment here to get your guys take on scoring so far for the Warriors. Their chemistry, that’s what really stood out so far in this one to me. Look at the number of assists they’ve been able to rack up so far. And the other thing I’ve been impressed with guys is their assertiveness at attacking the paint, trying to hunt for those high percentage looks. Free throw good. Green. What I appreciate most about Green is his leadership. Strong vocally on and off the floor. So the Lakers call. Timeout. Their first. Yeah. Things not going their way. And he wants to just try to talk this one over. And you know what, guys? If for nothing else, just to slow things down a little bit, change it up somewhat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. And here is Los Angeles now trailing here by eight outside James. Here’s Reeves. He’s defended by Pajki and Hayes throws it down, man. He sure can get off the floor. One of the best in the business. Absolutely. Well, he makes it look easy. He is an absolutely imposing finisher around the rim. Peyton finds PJMski. It’s deflected now. Here’s Green. Golden State moving it around. Just fine to shoot. Shot by Pensky. No good. And so Donic will bring it up for Los Angeles. Six-point game. Shoots over Curry. Donic with the bucket. And if you’re the guy who has to guard him, it is never going to be an easy night for you. Here’s Pajki. He’s defended by Reeds. The Warriors have gone one for one making their previous attempt at the line. Two, two. First one falls for off on that one. So he goes one for two at the line. Lakers trail by five. Here’s LeBron and oh boy, a lot of contact there, but he gets the call and will shoot two. You know, it’s inevitable that a player’s physical abilities diminish over the course of a career, but the thing that stands out to me about LeBron James is that he never lost his insatiable drive to win. Guys, if anything, he’s gotten stronger. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. First free throw is good. And LeBron the only player to reach 40,000 points in his career. Clark, you’re shaking your head. It’s incredible, isn’t it? Absolutely remarkable, Kevin. And I did not think I would see it in my lifetime. 40,000 points. Just the sound of that is ridiculous. And you know, he not only has lived up to the height that has followed him since he was 15 years old, he’s actually exceeded it, Kevin, which is crazy. Now, here’s Payton. Five points in the game. It’s a part of his game that LeBron takes a lot of pride in. Shot blocking and defending. He’s no slouch at that end of the floor. Back to Donic. And there’s the pass to Hatchim Reeves outside and he hits it to tie the game up. You How can you forget about him? I mean, he’s not going to miss that open of a look. And here is Butler. Hasn’t made one yet. Makes it off the glass. Boy, that’s just deflating for the defense. I mean, staying tight on Butler, but still not able to prevent the basket. And Dunic, here we go. And no good. Golden State’s gone one or two from long range in the first quarter. Here’s Butler. Shoots over James and he gets the whistle. Two free throws coming up. Rui Himura picks one up. Boy, you got to stay grounded on that pump fake. Butler really effective at getting the defender to jump into his space. First trip to the free throw line for him in this one in their last contest, guys. He was unconscious from the foul line. Splashed them one after another. It really was quite a display from the strike. Yeah. You know, that was one spot where they didn’t have to worry about him at all. I mean, at the free throw line, he was automatic. Free throw. Good. Butler continuing to work on refining his craft. Butler puts in a great amount of time, maybe more than most. He’s perfect from the line this time. Lakers trail by four. Donic outside, passes it to Hatchima and Hayes kicks to LeBron. Warriors with the rebound. Well, that is a rarity when he takes flight. He usually hammers that thing home. Payton dishes to Green. It’s rebounded by Donuch. And Los Angeles guys shooting 36% in this first quarter trying to get their bearings. And Clark, it’s hard to compare Luca Donuch to any other player we’ve seen before. I would certainly agree with that. Dittos to that, Kevin, because he is unique. His pace is never hurry. He never gets rattled. He complains to officials a little bit more than I like to see, but he’s strong. He’s got great touch and feel and he scores at all three levels and he’s a brilliant passer shooting two. The free throw drops for James. the feel LeBron has for the game. Unreal. Whatever situation he finds himself in, he always seems to have an answer. Here’s what the Lakers are going with right now. Dorian Finny Smith’s checked in for Hayes. Vanderbilt comes in for Ruie Himeura. Connect. He’s checked in for Austin Reeves. And it’s Gabe Vincent in for Donic. And it’s Curry with the ball bringing it up for the Warriors. Kaminga against James. Kaminga no good. That’s the kind of D you need when he’s got the ball near the hoop. They were all over and it’s connect in the corner. Yes, it’s James picking up the assist and the Lakers lead by one. You know, he could have tried to force a shot there, but that’s not him. Instead, LeBron keeps his eyes up, finds an open teammate. It’s stolen by Vanderbilt. Here’s Vincent. Guarded by Kirk. Pass to LeBron. Back to Vincent. Just five on the clock. Here’s Finny Smith up and in alert. And now it’s a three-point Laker lead. Really love how active Finny Smith is. exceptional job cutting to the right spot in the pick and rolls and the Warriors decide to take their first time out here. Yeah, things not going their way and he wants to just try to talk this one over. And you know what guys, if for nothing else, just to slow things down a little bit, change it up somewhat. Heat up here. Heat. Heat. How do he jumped in for Jimmy Butler? Warriors trail by three. Kee the pass to Kaminga. Here’s Post. Pass to Moody. Golden State moving it around. Here’s Curry. Here’s Post. Finny Smith defending. And here are the Lakers. They’re on a 16 to five run here. Here’s Connect and contact on the shot. So, he’ll be shooting free throws here. As a junior college product, Daltton Connect, Greg didn’t have a traditional path to the NBA. Yeah, Kevin spent two years at a JC. two more at a small division one program, then used his extra year of eligibility to transfer to Tennessee. And there he became a first team all-American and turned himself into a first round pick. Shooting two. And the first one at the line is good. Both good from the line that time. Warriors trail by five. Now here’s Curry. Nothing on the board. Dominga Vanderbilt with the rebound. Here’s LeBron. There we go. Now in the scoring column would that make? He is one for four and creating a little separation here. Gaining some confidence. Yeah, you get the sense that they’re going to start stretching this lead out a little bit. Now here’s Curry. Will it go? Burries the long range jumper. Honestly, guys, Curry is the best three-point shooter I’ve ever seen. James, the pass to Vincent. The pass to Finny Smith. Lee Pass was put in just the right spot. And the Lakers lead by six. And really, it’s been a major aspect of their offense in the early stages here. their success working the ball inside and getting points from close range. Now here’s Kaminga and play stops whistling what looks to be an illegal screen. And guys, point of emphasis for the league is to really crack down on illegal screens. Yeah, you know, he might have gotten away with that a few years ago, but not anymore. No way. Now you’ve got to be stationary on those screens. No extra hips or elbows, or they’ll call it. Here’s James. He has six. He gets that one. And now it’s an eight-point Laker lead. He’s so good at creating his own shot. He’s just got an endless supply of moves. LeBron James. Here’s Post. Puts the fade away right on the money. I like the recognition of the mismatch there. Immediately making the defense pay. Here’s Vincent guarded by Kurt. Offensive rebound. It’s tipped and he recovers it. Here’s Finny Smith from outside off the mark. Vanderbilt misses and it’s Curry with the ball bringing it up for the Warriors. They trail by six. Another shot. Two free throws coming up and they call the shooting foul. That’s on LeBron James. And an important part of every team’s game, a look at the hustle stats for the Lakers. You have to give them credit for their defense here in the early stages. I mean, they’ve shown tremendous anticipation on the same page as a unit defensively, especially on those block shots. Yeah. And you can’t turn it over against this team. That’s a recipe for disaster. And we’re seeing the results of that. Rethrow good. Moody Goodwin’s checked in for Los Angeles. Moody heads them both. Lakers leading by four. Vincent the pass to Vanderville. 127 left to play in the first quarter. Pass to Finny Smith. Five to shoot. Here’s Connect. And it’s good with time running down on the shot clock. Connects got seven points in the game. Here’s Curry. Pass to Kaminga. Good. And Curry gets the assist. Oh, nice feed. You You can see how Curry makes their offense flow even when he’s not scoring. Here’s Vincent guarded by Curry. Vincent misses. They have a chance to go two for one here. But let’s see how they play the clock outside. Curry. Golden State moving the ball around. Now Kinga a three ball. He’s now one for two with that bucket. I like the offensive awareness to exploit that lack of coverage on that play. Ela’s gone two of four from beyond the arc to start the game. What are you doing? Pass to Finny. Smith launches a three. Sinks the three-pointer. He’s got seven and an eye for an eye. Both teams working to stretch the floor. Nothing like answering back. One team gets three, you fire three of your own. Boom. Curry deciding where to go with it. A put back controls the rebound and puts it back up and in. And those second chance points really become almost like bonus points when you can get them. And so it’s LeBron James making things happen for the Lakers. He notched eight points in the quarter and has that terrific basketball instinct on display. We’ll take a quick break and then back to the action here. And it’s been a pretty even game here after one quarter of play. And from what we’ve seen so far from the Lakers, guys, what are your thoughts? Well, in that first quarter, they they were intent on just pounding the ball down low. Yeah, and it’s worked. They’ve got a clear edge and points in the paint. Now, we’ll see if they go with a more balanced attack or just keep on pounding it inside. And you know, Greg, we’re seeing so many teams utilizing the dribble handoff and it really forces the defense into a bad spot. Can create situations where the offense has an advantage and then it allows you to kind of seek out the matchup. Austin Reeves out there with Luca Donuch. Then it’s Jackson Hay. Then it’s Goodwin and it’s Hachi Mura in at the fourth spot. That’s the group for the Lakers to start the second quarter. Now here’s Donic trying to go for an alleyoop, but excellent defense and anticipation there to stop it. Here’s Green and it’s all evened up. Green’s got nine points. I mean, one thing about Draymond, he almost invites contact. Donich with it on the wing. Reed, shoots over Penski. Reeds gets the bucket. He has five. Quarter number two with just over a minute gone. Hatimura against Butler. shoots over Himura. Butler no good. That’s a rare miss for him inside. He may have just rushed it a bit. Maybe lost concentration too. And here’s Hayes. There’s the pass to Himura. Second quarter of basketball just over a minute and a half played so far. You have to push Hachimura out of there if you’re the defense. He’s a real problem on the interior. Warriors trail by four. Outside Curry and it’s blocked. They recover it. Pass it to Reeves. And a lot of contact on that one. So he’ll shoot two here. Clark, what is it about Austin Reeves style of play that makes him such a good scoreer? I love the fact that he can change pace with the dribble. You know, he’s not super fast, but he’s not slow either. What he is is shifty and smart. He’s got good size, good ball skills, and he’s got a nice mid-range jumper. All of that allows him to keep defenders off balance. And he makes the first. LeBron’s checked in for Goodwin. and Reed props them both. And that’s the norm for him. He’s pretty much automatic when he’s at the line. They’ve been looking out of sync offensively. Yeah, that their offense has ground to a standstill. Butler, here’s Green. And you know that’s going to be goalending, guys. So that’s a three basket right there. Kudos for the effort, but he got there a little too late. And so James will bring it up for the Lakers. They lead by four. He dishes it to Donic. Donic with a strong move inside. And you know, you look at Donic for a forward. This guy handles the ball extremely well. He’s terrific at creating for himself off the dribble. Butler against Hatchima. No one there. Curry as he lets it go. Offline with his three. Los Angeles leading by six. Here’s Hatchim. The rebound by Payton. Payton’s got four rebounds now tonight. Pass to Butler. Greavves with the rebound. Los Angeles has gone three of five from beyond the arc so far tonight. Hatchima with it. Now Green defending. Hatchima kicks to Donic. Six to shoot. Jacks up a three. And again, Los Angeles with a triple. Just solid with the jump shot. Hachimura helps your offense in a number of ways. In that case, spacing the floor. Butler against Hatchim pass to Penski. And again, it’s the Warriors missing. Here are the Lakers. They’re on an 11-2 run. Right now, I’d send it over to the sidelines and get a report from David Aldridge. Kevin, the last few years, we saw teams giving up bounties worth of draft picks and trades for star players. But with teams now possessing more roster spots to develop prospects and about 3/4 of the tradable picks by just a third of the NBA’s teams, we may not see so many picks given up moving forward. Kevin, you’re exactly right, David. Something certainly to keep an eye on. Here’s Reeves. The Warriors making the shot. A shot’s good from Hayes. And they’ve repeatedly froze inside in the first half, guys. and and it’s paid off. Here’s Curry. Wow. Magical moves inside from Steph Curry. Just shows you how impressive Curry’s shooting ability is that he can adjust for any distance. Donic finds Reeves. Good. And the assist goes to Donic. Reeves has got the lead up to nine now for the Lakers. Now here’s Curry. Five points in the game. Three-pointer. Butler and Brandon Pumpsky gets the whistle that time. That’ll be his second foul of the game. Lakers leading by nine. James in the post. Payton’s there and he could not get that one to go. Lot of contact and he’ll go to the line for two. It’s on Jimmy Butler and such a physical player inside. LeBron doesn’t fear contact on the way up. So far, he’s hit all of his shots at the foul line, going four for four. And his percentage at the line last season right at the 75% mark. shooting two. That free throw no good. Good on the second free throw. Warriors trail by 10. Here’s Pajki. Takes it inside. Misses the baby hook. Los Angeles has gone 46 from outside the arc tonight. The 11-footer. LeBron playing like a big man inside. That defense has to worry so much about LeBron as a passer that it opens things up for his jump shot. Donic against Curry. Green dishes to Curry. The three. A rebound by the Lakers. Hayes has got rebound number five here tonight. The pass to Hatchima. Reeves in the corner. Six on the shot clock. That one goes in for him, too. Making it look easy. He’s now four for four. But when you allow good scorers to get uncontested shots at the rim, no wonder you’re losing. You know, he should be getting extra attention from the defense, not less. It’s Curry outside. The rebound by James. LeBron’s got his fifth rebound in this one. Donic with the bucket. Offensively, defensively, they are in total control. And don’t leave out the coaching staff here now. I mean, their game plan has been perfect. Timeout called the Warriors. And really, Clark, Luca Donic is a oneman wrecking crew on the offensive end of the floor. Yeah, he really is. I mean, he’s special. His IQ, his size, the way he can make shots against tough defense, he’s got the lean back, he’s got the crafty moves, and I think he’s a lot stronger and a little more athletic than people give him credit for being. I mean, without a doubt, he’s one of the most unique and best players that we’ve seen in the game. and Los Angeles with some changes. Vanderbilt’s checked in for Jackson Hayes. Dory and Finny Smith comes in for Himura and it’s connect in for Austin Reeds. Then for the Warriors, Kingas come in for Butler. Moses Moody comes in for Gary Payton. And Heel subbed in for Brandon Pajki. And talking about Buddy Heel, he is someone you can definitely count on. He can score from any place. Yeah, he’s got great range and his durability is just as impressive as his stroke. You know, most seasons Buddy Hill plays in 80 or more games, and that is very much a rarity these days. And he’s also a 40% career shooter from three. So, he can space the floor, and you know, he’s going to be on the floor whenever it’s game time. Free throw drops for Heel. Everybody knows about how Buddy Heield is an incredible three-point threat, but what I love, here’s a guy with a bunch of years playing 80 or more games. Love that durability. He’s ready to go whenever they call his name. The Lakers making a switch here. Vincent’s checked in. He hits both from the stripe. Los Angeles leading by 14 on the wing. Donic and they double up. Donic now Vincent. No scoring in this one. A nice shot by Donic and the Lakers lead by 16. Nice work from Donic doing a good job finding a way to get it done inside. Pass to Post over Vanderbilt and Post gets it to go. Post has got six points. Los Angeles has gone 4-6 from outside the arc tonight. Curry against Donic. Passes it to Vanderbilt. Now Vincent covered by Heel. Just four to shoot. Vincent the pass to Vanderbilt. Here’s connect. The three-pointer. No good. Warriors trail by 14. Here’s Curry. He gets hauled in by Los Angeles. Donic has got his fifth rebound right now in the game. Shoots over Curry. Tried to bank it in, but he misses. And here’s Field. He’ll bring it up for Golden State. over Vincent on the money from 12 feet away. This is a key make for Heel showing the ability to shoot it off the bounce. Pass to Vanderbilt. Here’s Vincent. You know, even though it’s a point blank range shot, that’s not an easy one, especially when the defense is that tight. Pass to post. Banjage with the steel. Takes the 13-footer. Kept alive. Here is Vanderbilt. The short one’s on the money. There he is beasting on the glass, converting the opportunity, trying to put this game away. Well, he enjoys deflating the opposition with those extra possessions. Timeout called the Warriors. Well, it’s been an express lane to the rim. Coach can’t be happy about that. And you know, I think he’s going to tell him simply, we have to show more fight on the interior. That’s the top priority right now. Heat up here. The Lakers making a switch here. Good ones check in. Warriors trail by 14. Healed the pass to Kaminga. Now the pass to Curry. Pass to Moody. Shot clock at six. Healed outside. And the Warriors miss again. Lakers leading by 14. Curry with the steel. A nice shot by Moody. Seven points for Moses Moody. Attacking in transition. The most consistent way to generate easy looks. Yep. Exactly. And if there’s any opportunity for early offense, you’ve got to push it and push it every time. Oh, and the lead gets bigger on a ridiculous offensive sequence. That dunk alone would have been spectacular. Never mind it coming at the end of an alleyoop. Well, I tell you what, they’ve got this team just a step away from being completely sleep. And it’s the Warriors with the ball after the basket by Los Angeles. And all you got to do is look at the rebounding margin as to why they hold the lead. And you know what that tells the story in a lot of games, guys. And here you go. It’s telling the story tonight, too. Yeah. Way to play in attack mode and get to the line. And you know, the defense gets their money’s worth on that foul, stopping the layup and not giving up the and one. The Lakers have gone nine of 10 from the line, so making the most of their chances. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots and the first one at the line is good. and good on the second. So he makes them both. 139 left in the first half. Healed outside. Back to Curry. Clever move by Curry taking the foul but still getting the shot. The Warriors have knocked down eight of nine free throw attempts. I’d say those numbers read pretty well. two. The first one falls. And you know, with Curry, what impresses me most is his efficiency. That’s not something we normally see in a high volume jump shoot. Stephen Curry hits them both. 129 left in the first half of the game. Right here. Now here’s Goodwin. Not a lot of room. The 9 ft shot. Ask it is good. He’ll get a chance for one more at the line. Give them credit. Offensively, they’ve been the more efficient team. Well, you know, it’s been all high percentage shot for him so far. I mean, just the kind of execution you want in the first half. One shot. Free throw. Good. Good one. Curry with it. Seven points in the game. And that one clearly a foul. Gets the whistle and two shots coming up. And how about mixing it up inside there. Steph still a threat. That nimleness he has helps him to get that shot off. The Warriors have shot 10 of 11 at the line. Nice work so far for them. Yeah, a year ago though, Kevin, 78% conversion rate from the free throw line. So that’s a nice allaround effort. That’s good from Stephen Kirk. Stephen Curry hits them both and the Lakers have possession down low and it’s Goodwin that time on the assist by Donic. Goodland’s got seven now in this quarter up top. Curry guarded by Donic. The epic counts. And how about when Curry gets fancy with it? His confidence is what allows him to pull off these moves. Donic looking it over. Here’s connect the offensive rebound. Vanderbilt kicks to finish. Smith off the mark there with the three-point shot. Now here’s Goodwin covered by Heel. Shot clock at five. Vanderbilt misses. Yeah. And that was lining up to be a huge alleyoop, but they just couldn’t quite connect. And you know guys, always a tough catch on the lob. Placement and timing have to be close to perfect. It’s Curry outside and it’s Finny Smith with the rebound. Here’s Goodwin and no good on the last second attempt this time. And so it’s the Los Angeles Lakers riding a 15-point lead at the end of the quarter. What a night they’ve had in terms of their shooting. Everything dropping in for him. And now we’ll send it over to David Aldridge who is standing by Courtzine. David, thanks Kevin. Steph, you know you’re number one in the defensive scouting report. How do you counteract that? I just got to slow down. I mean, uh, we’re playing good defense, trying to trap the ball screens and take them on the three-point line, but, you know, just got to be aggressive, get good shots up, making the right plays, and they’ll turn around. We’ll see what you do in the second half. Thanks, Steph. Back to you, Kevin. Thank you, David. We’ll be back after halftime for the start of the second half momentarily. It’s the 2K Sports Halftime Show. Hey, welcome back. The first half mercifully coming to a close. I’m Ernie Johnson. Kenny’s here. Shaq is here. A competitive matchup for the Lakers in the first quarter. They led by two after the first. They just exploded in the second quarter, grabbing the momentum and running with it. Basket after basket, and they played stingy defense. Now they’ve got a halftime lead that’s going to be very difficult to erase. What you think, Kenny, about what we saw from the Lakers? And the game plan they went with was very clear. It was center around scoring inside. Pound that ball inside. Pound it in the paint. Try to get the high percentage shot. And because of this assertive attitude, they’ve got the edge where it counts on the scoreboard. Cha, how do you think the Warriors were playing? Their effort on the board has been horrendous. That’s a good way to get blown out. Only way they could turn this thing around is to start winning the rebounding battle, to win the battle of possession. Otherwise, they’re my favorite. Avocado toast. And that’s going to do it for us here. The second half of action is coming your way. And as we dive into the second half, we’ll find out if the next two quarters are any different from the first two. So far, it has been a runaway. Austin Reeves really making a difference here, man. He’s been running wild on him through that first half. Absolute dynamite on offense. And you know what? I’ll be interested to see just how much he’s got left in the tank. That first half had to take a lot out of. Well, we’ve got a second half of basketball for you. We think it’s going to be pretty good. A big comeback though is needed for this game to be competitive, and it probably has to happen quickly. So with Curry sitting on the bench, here’s the group that Steve Cerr has on the floor. Gary Payton II is out there with Butler. Then there’s Brandon Pajki. Then it’s Green and it’s post in at the point guard. Excellent job getting that strong position inside. Butler doing work. Really nice. Hachimura the pass to LeBron. James down. They shoot again. Bachimura kicks to LeBron. No luck. They batted on the glass but couldn’t knock it down. And so Peyton will bring it up for Golden State. It’s a 13-point game. Left side Butler. Here’s PMski. He’s defended by Reeds and he’s able to get it back. Lakers leading by 13. pass to Hayes. Back to James over Butler. Here’s Hatchima. And he’s fouled pretty hard on that shot, but he’s got the chance to pick up the points at the line. And when Hatchima is looking to score, it sometimes forces the D to get aggressive. Love the energy. This is his first free throw of the game. and he hit his foul shots a season ago at about a 74% clip. Two shots last on the first and that one falls for Hachimura. The Warriors making a switch here. Curry’s checked in. Second free throw. No good. Warriors trail by 14. Guys, they’re looking for a way to score here. Yeah, they’ve had a tough time taking the lid off. What’s Chris? Pass to Butler. Fires from deep. It’s rebounded by Hayes. Hayes has got rebound number seven for him tonight. And the pass to Hatchima. Shoots over Curry and that one’s good. Hatchima. Hatchima’s got 10 points in the game. Unwilling to let up even for a moment. That’s his killer instinct. just fanning the flanks. Yeah, I love the fact he doesn’t play the score. He just keeps coming attack mode. He doesn’t know how to step off the gas pedal. Shots good by Butler. Shooting with great confidence. Butler fires immediately off the catch. Passes it to LeBron. A LeBron brushing off the contact. Coming off a big game, his confidence couldn’t be higher and coach knows it. Showing no signs of slowing or cooling down. They’re going to ride him as far as he can take him outside. Butler has the cur. A three-pointer off the mark. Los Angeles leading by 15. Here’s Hatchima. Green with the block. No matter what night it is, Green seeks to intimidate and more often than not succeeds. pass to Hatchima. On the wing, James covered by Payton. Shoots from 14. Basket counts. LeBron’s got four this quarter. Hey, I really like what I’m seeing from LeBron here tonight. Keeping it simple. He’s going to the hot hand, which is him. That’s pretty good. Now here’s Curry. 11 points in the game. VMsky with it. It’s deflected. Hatchimura against Butler. Hatchima. No good. Warriors trail by 17. Here’s Payton. Rebounded by the Lakers. Donic has got his seventh rebound of the game with that last one. Getting the latest now from our sideline reporter David Aldridge. David, it’s all yours. Take it away, Kevin. Improving dialogue between players and officials is a priority. Commissioner Silver says, “Now with highfidelity audio, we’re all able to hear a lot of what’s being said. Now, we have to take into account the high stress environment, but there has to be a two-way sense of respect. I feel it’s an area where we can make progress. Kevin, well, you know, the commissioner is always looking ahead and looking at every area, which is great for the game. Los Angeles calls timeout. Every timeout, a chance to review the lineups, matchups, or call a play. Yeah, and I agree. I think there’s going to be a new wrinkle in their game plan when they come out of this timeout. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Gabe Vincent. He’s checked in for the Lakers to the right side. The pass to Hatchima and stolen by Butler. Throws up and Butler running the floor. Boy, that was a terrific sequence by Butler demonstrating why he’s such an outstanding two-way threat. LeBron passes to Hayes. Now Vincent. Six on the shot clock. Back to Reeves and he banks in the layup. Reeves has got 13. That was just a perfect possession getting it in tight for the high percentage shot. Here’s PMski outside. Butler and Draymond Green picks up the foul. That’s his first foul. And so it’s Himura who brings up the ball for the Lakers. 17 points was their biggest margin. Reeves outside. Passes it to Hatchima driving inside. on the wing. Reeds. He’s defended by Pajki. Boy, that’s got to be terribly frustrating there. I mean, with the defense not hustling and he still misses. Boy, he wishes he had that one back. Bends in. Finds James. Good for his six make in a dozen attempts. Shooting 50% with that basket. A monster down low. LeBron James the rare package of skill, size, and athleticism. Butler shooting foul as the whistle blows. He’ll shoot two free throws. And guys, what do you think about the offensive approach so far that we’ve seen for the Lakers? And guys, how about the unselfishness and all about working that ball around, shifting the defense, and just seeking out the best shot. They brought the hard hats and the lunch bells with them, too. done some great work down inside. That free throw missing. He hits the second from the line. Lakers leading by 15. James looking around and Hayes throws it down. Watching LeBron in the pick and roll is artistry in motion, timing, precision. Everything’s right on the mark. Now Pajki laid in with a nice touch off the glass. Now, how about how he sets his man up there, runs him right into the screen, and then gets the basket. Vincent with it. Curry meets him. Green with the block. Hayes finds Vincent. Butler against Hatchim. Second chance shot. Jimmy Butler with the rebound. Butler’s got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. And there’s Green on the assist by Butler. Green’s got 13. Butler really sees the floor and finds his opportunities to move that ball around. A true team player. Los Angeles calls timeout. Heat up here. Heat. Heat. some changes for the Lakers. Vanderbilts checked in for Jackson Hayes. Cory and Finny Smith comes in for Hatchima. And Goodwin subbed in for Gabe Benson. Golden State also making some changes. Jonathan Kmena. He’s jacked in for Jimmy Butler. Moody comes in for Payton. And he subbed in for Brandon Pajki. Now here’s LeBron. 17 points in the game. Merciless inside. Merciless James. His overall size and strength really sets James apart from the rest of his peers when you think about his skill set inside. Inside. Here’s Green. It’s hauled in by Los Angeles. LeBron right side and Moody pulls it down. Warriors trail by 15 into the lane. Lays it up off the glass. Moody’s got nine. And the defense no factor, which is why he simply laid it in. And here is Goodwin. Seven points in the game. An amazing finish with a hand right in his face. Nine points in the game so far. And so Curry will bring it up for the Warriors. He kicks to Green. Now here’s Moody. Nine points in the game so far. And Kaminga throws it down. And one step ahead of the defense with that solid screen. And then Greg, the monster dunk to finish it off. Boy, picture perfect teamwork that time, guys. One guy sacrificing for the other. That’s how you succeed in this league. You know, guys, that’s what he does. He just loves to play that kind of attacking basketball. Curry with it. 14 points for him. Pass to Moody. Second shot opportunity and it’s good on the layup. Moody’s got four points this quarter. Excellent activity and timing on the offensive glass. That’s how you get extra possessions. Here’s Goodwin. He’s got nine. LeBron passes to Finny Smith. Back to James. I got yours. I got yours. Vanderbilt kicks to James. Goes up again and Vanderbilt finishes it off and the Lakers lead by 15. And the rebound and the follow show you what he is all about. Gritty and determined with a soft touch to match. Now here’s Curry. Pass to Moody. off target from three-point range. Vanderbilt the pass to James. Warriors with the rebound. Green’s got his fifth rebound right now in the game and Kaminga proves it down. You got to love his hustle, leaving the defense no time to react. And you know you’re going to get those buckets, guys, when you’re quick to get out on the break. Get that ball up the court as fast as you can. Reeves gets the bucket. Warriors trail by 15. Now Kurt, he’s got 14 to the paint. Moody tries again and foul on the shot. So he’ll get a chance at the line. That’s on LeBron James. This is his second trip to the free throw line. Had a success rate from the line last year of about 78%. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. And that one misses. Ease check in for Goodwin and the second free throw. Good. Los Angeles leading by 14. Reeves. The pass to Donic. Back to Reeves. Good. And the assist goes to Donic. Donic has got six assists now in the game. Luca is so smart to get other guys involved in the action. Very good at not forcing it and trying to do everything himself. Now here’s Curry and the Warriors miss again. And there’s the pass to James. The Warriors pull it in. It’s 9 seconds separating the shot clock and game clock. Kaminga kicks to Curry and he gets the whistle. Two free throws coming up. This is his third trip to the free throw line. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. The first free throw is good. Stephen Curry hits them both. And so Donic will bring it up for Los Angeles. Good work there as it goes. Donic has got 12. Nice job creating for the easy deuce. Outside curry. Here’s Moody. Hands the shot with nobody near him. 14 points for him. Pick works well there. Not much resistance from the deep. Yeah, that’s not the defense you need. You got to be tougher defensively. And so it’s the Los Angeles Lakers riding a 15-point lead at the end of the quarter. Their strategy has been clear tonight. Work the ball inside, get shots in the paint, and now they are scoring with ease. Right back after this break. And now we have a moment to reveal our State Farm assist of the game. And he sliced the D wide open with this feed. They had no chance to prevent that basket. Yeah, that’s just a brilliant read of the defense. I mean, it was also excellent anticipation of the movement of his teammates before the pass. Just great harmony on all sides. And we reach the fourth quarter in a game that may be already out of hand. Outside the wings are Reeves and James. Hatimura out there with Jackson Hayes and it’s Donic in a point. That’s who’s in the game for the Lakers. Now here’s Hayes in the corner. It’s James over Moody. James no good. Curry against Donic. Got that bucket in in no time at all. Curry’s got the fourth quarter going with the first basket of the period here for the Warriors. Here’s Donic. Donic gets it to go inside. Second chance points always hurt. Just not enough effort to block out. Hey, guys standing around spectating. I mean, you got to get in there and get tough. Hatchim against Button. Down to five on the shot clock. Fourth quarter. Still young. Just over a minute play. Misses the one-handed jam. No one near Reeves as he lets it go. Count the basket. LeBron’s got 12 points in just the second half. Making room inside. James fighting for the rebound and delivers. Passes to Butler. Butler on the attack. Lakers leading by 15. And here is Donic to the wing right side. Man, that’s it’s close, but you know, didn’t get on balance quick enough. Yeah, and as quick as players are at this level in this day and age, I mean, you’ve got to be perfect in your anticipation to draw the charge. Draymond Green, he’s checked in for the Warriors. Payton comes in for Stephen Curry. James outside six goes up on the high post. The Warriors pull it in. Green’s got six rebounds in the game. Pass to Pajki. Golden State moving the ball around and the shot goes in. seems to have a knack for hitting guys in their spots. His vision excellent. Go. Reeves outside and there’s the drive. Warriors with the rebound. Moody’s got his sixth rebound on the night. Here’s Butler. Good. And it’s Green picking up the assist. And that’s now 18 points for Butler. You know, Butler is simply a winner. He knows exactly how to get himself going offensively. Timeout called the Lakers. They’re trying to stem the tide here. Yeah, you know, they had to do something, anything to stop this run. You can’t just let it go on any longer. Heat. Heat. And with an update from the sidelines, let’s check in with David Aldridge. Hey guys, JJ Reick’s message with his team was simple. He told them, “Don’t look at the scoreboard. We have to play like we’re tied.” They want their team to sustain that level of effort, and we’ll see how it works out. Kevin, thank you, David. Now, here’s Donic. Back to Hatchima. Good. And the assist goes to Donic. And the Lakers lead by 13. And we know Hachimura has a confident personality. You see it there with the rise and fire approach. Nice. Here’s PMski and it’s good. Two points. Moody’s got nine points now in just the second half. Great job of screening there. Nice job to take it to the rim and get the finish. There’s the lob to the hoop and Hayes throws it down. Oh, phenomenal alley slam there. They are taking advantage of a team that looks lost out there. Boy, I tell you what, guys. This is really getting close to being real ugly. Now, here’s Payton trying to find Moody. Gets it to him and he gets the bucket. You know, passes like that go a long way. Terrific teamwork. And here’s James. He’ll bring it up for the Los Angeles Lakers. 17 points was their biggest margin. Near the three-point line, it’s Donuch. Rebound by Butler. Butler’s got his fifth rebound right now in the game. Pass to Moody. And here is Green outside Butler. Five on the clock. Here’s Payton. And a miss there with a chance to cut the lead to single digits. And now the fast break. Himaurro with the ball. Draymond Green pulls it in. Green’s got his seventh rebound here tonight. Here’s Butler. Reeves with the rebound. You can’t look at the result of that shot. They’ll take that whenever they get it. Well, you know, I hear you. That’s a good look, but when you’re that wide open, I think you got to knock it down. Here’s Reeves. And the three ball is good. Reeves has got 21. He’s just stretching them out. The defense has got to do a better job of staying attached to him. Yeah, especially with the score being what it is. I mean, you got to tighten it up on deep. Lakers leading by 14. Hedge passes to Hatchima. The shots good on the assist by Donic. Donic has got assist number eight here in this one already. Time out called the Warriors. Yeah, he needs to tell his guys to just box out with some energy. That that’s basic basketball. They’ve been lazy on the backboard and have allowed way too many second chance points. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Pajki with it. The pass to Green. over Hayes. Had a hand on it. Nice break. The Lakers. The finish and the dunk by LeBron. LeBron James. Power and athleticism on full display with the jam. Kicks to Green outside. Baiton inside. Here’s Butler. And it’s Butler with the jam. And one step ahead of the defense with that solid screen. And then Greg, the monster dunk to finish it off. Boy, picture perfect teamwork that time, guys. One guy sacrificing for the other. That’s how you succeed in this league. Your heads up aggressive play right there. Saw the smaller man on him and took it straight to the basket. Curry’s checked in for the Warriors. One shot. Free throw. Good. LeBron Warriors trail by 19. Now here’s Curry. passes it to Payton and the call is going to be Yes. Yes, it is an illegal screen. Beyond the leaning, you could see his feet more set on that screen. Easy call. Yeah, I agree. You know, sometimes that can be a tough call for the refs to make, but not that time. It was easy there. Curry is inside, guarded by Donic. Curry gets the bucket. Curry’s got 20. Stronger than he looks. Curry able to take the hit there and finish. Reeves the pass to Donic. Hand contact on the shot. So he’ll be shooting free throws here. They get Stephen Curry. Two, two and the first one drops. You know, one of the things I like about watching Donic is the pace he plays at. You’re not going to speed him up. He plays at his pace, the pace he dictates. No free throws good from Donic. Warriors trail by 19. Outside Butler and he drives in. He blocks it again. A defensive stalwart so far. That’s six blocks. Greg protecting the rim. Love the hustle. And the lack of effort to fight over the screen there makes that an easy shot. Well, I’m going to credit the screen. I mean, that’s a good strong pick he lays there. James kicks to Donic. Fires the three. Come on. Come on. The Warriors pull it in. And the great shooters know when they’ve got enough opening to go for the three. I didn’t think it was a bad choice on that possession. Here’s James and the call on the shot. It sends in to the line. Yeah, the defense has to be careful with LeBron. I mean, he’s a clever shooter who knows how to draw fouls. He uses his body really well. two shot. First one falls for and the Lakers making a change here. Finny Smith’s checked in. Jonathan Kaminga, he’s checked in for the Warriors. and James drills them both. Warriors trail by 19. Here’s Curry. Down low looking for Kaminga. He gets it there and there’s the whistle. 3second violation and just a little too lax with that possession and it cost him. And I tell you what, more brain neutral plays like that one and they’ll have a hole deeper than the one they’re already in. Anjic outside. Pass to Hayes. He kicks it to LeBron. Here’s Reeds. He’s defended by Pajki. No good from outside. And so Curry will bring it up for the Warriors. Trailing by 19. Donic with it. And Curry picks him up defensively. Boy, he’s so dangerous in these situations. Donic just has a good sense for what he needs to do based on the situation. Now here’s Curry. Fires away from outside. Rebounded by the Lakers. Hayes has got 13 rebounds in the game seating. Here’s Reeds and foul on the shot. He’ll shoot two at the free throw line. Two, two. First free throw is good. and Reed props them both. The Warriors shooting reasonably well, 45%. Curry against Donic. Curry dishes to Kaminga. Fast break the Lakers. Here’s LeBron and he could not get that one to go. Lot of contact and he’ll go to the line for two. He misses the free throw. And he’s good on the second. The Warriors shooting 53% from the field in the fourth quarter. Can’t ask for more than that from your offense. Majky on the wing. Good. And Curry gets the assist. Curry’s got his seventh assist in the game. And you know, coaches will take possessions like that all day long. Phenomenal use of the screen there. Here’s Reeves. He makes his ninth shot of the game. He has only missed four. And that’s just cold bloodooded right there. He’s taking no prisoners. Guys, when you’re this hot, it’s elementary. Let it fly. Keep staying at it. Now, here’s Green and it’s Kaminga at the elbow. That one’s not going to go. LA’s gone seven of 15 from three-point range tonight. They’re not afraid of that shot. Here’s Donic. And a lot of contact on that one. So, he’ll shoot two here. They get Stephen Curry. Dantic because he’s so skilled and so savvy, he does a nice job forcing the defense into tough spots when they’re guarding him. Two. That free throw good from Donic. Connect. He’s checked in for the Lakers. Good one comes in for Austin Reeves. Both free throws good from Donic. The Warriors shooting reasonably well, 45%. Here’s healed. It’s blocked and that’ll be Golden State as it goes out of bounds. Warriors retain possession. James against Kaminga. And that’ll be two free throws coming up. Officials on the call with the foul. That’s on LeBron James. Foul two. shooting two. That one is off. good on the second free throw. A disappointing trip to the line there even though it was just one miss. Now is not the time to be missing those. Now here’s Donic. Oh, and there’s the alleyoop and connect gets it to go. How frustrating for the defense. You get the stop but then fail to block out. Well, you know that’s the way it’s going to be for them today, fellas. Can’t sustain any momentum. Golden State moving the ball around. Curry against Donic. And there’s the whistle. Illegal screen. Beyond the leaning, you could see his feet weren’t set on that screen. Easy call. Yeah, I agree. You know, sometimes that can be a tough call for the refs to make, but not that time. It was easy there. Had their fingerprints all over this matchup tonight. Just an impressive victory for the Lakers. It was a standout performance across the board. I mean, it was like watching a cat play with a mouse. They were able to do more or less whatever they wanted. And as usual, some excellent work tonight in what was a quality big impact game for Luca Donic. And the way he was able to dice up their D with his passing really made things easy for everyone else on his team. And Curry isn’t just a lights out scorer, he’s also efficient at moving the ball and getting it to his teammates. 106 left in the fourth quarter. Here’s connect covered by Payton. Connect. No good. And so Peyton will bring it up for the Warriors. Outside Curry outside Kaminga. Pass to Curry. Just five on the clock. Here’s Payton. The shot is good off the backboard. That’s a nice play there. Not going to miss many from there. This could get even more out of hand if they continue to put up points. Wow, Kevin, what a performance we are seeing. Kinga against James. Here’s Finny Smith and he gets the whistle. Two free throws coming up. The definition of a stretch for Finny Smith is a really valuable offensive player. No good on the free throw. He hits the second from the line. Here’s healed. To the middle. Here’s PMski. It’s hauled in by Los Angeles. Well, Grant, what should we expect in a veteranheavy matchup like this? You know, BA, it typically means we’ll get a clean game. These guys have been around for a while and know how to take care of the basketball. The starters for the Golden State Warriors. Curry and Pods make up the back court. Jimmy Butler out there with Green and it’s Peyton in at the three. High IQ pass by LeBron. He reads the floor and gets it to the open shooter. Butler into the lane up and in on the layup just taking it right to the rim and no one was there to greet him. Easy possessions like that literally are just a gift. You just dream of them. He’ll gladly take those. Aimura outside. James against Peyton and James gets it to go. And it’s the level of creativity that separates LeBron. It’s second to none cuz he’s such an incredible ball handler. Also, Curry passes to Green. Now Butler left side. Green. Pass to Pajimski. Just five on the clock. Shoots from the line. It’s hauled in by Luca Donuch. And here’s Donic. He’ll bring it up for the Lakers. Here’s Aimura. Offensive rebound. And the shot goes down. Not to be denied. Hachimura has a great motor and competes with the best of them. Richard, it’s nice to have the versatility of a guy like Hachimura. Equally comfortable at either forward position. Well, he’s got the size and strength of a modern-day NBA power forward, but he also has the ability to stretch the floor and knock down a three. That’s a nice combo. One shot. Free throw good. Aimura now. Here’s Curry. And we’re about a minute and a half into the first quarter. Puts up a deep three. Good D by Dantic. Great job of closing the space and getting a hand up. Yeah, that’s a good defender making a play and he does it without foul. Here’s Aimura and the rebound goes for the Warriors. I thought he had that all sewn up, but somehow the defense just threw him off. A kick out. Curry pass to Butler. And here’s Pajki. Six to shoot. And here’s Curry for three. Aimura with a rebound. James against Peyton. Aimura. The pass to Reeves. Back to Aimura. Over Butler. And once again off the mark by Los Angeles. Golden State has gone 0 for two from outside. Pass to Green. Outside Butler. Here’s Curry. Good. And Butler gets the assist. Making use of the in between area. Curry’s ability to break defenses down opens up these shots. Out to James. Outside. Reeves. Here’s Donic. And he takes it in for the layup off a very nice feed. Attacking in the painted area. Clearly that was their game plan coming in. Here’s Curry. Curry with another miss. No clue how he misfired on that shot. You don’t see that from him very often. And the basket is good. The size and strength of Donic can go overlooked. I mean, he’s more than capable of scoring there in the paint. Just under three and a half minutes elapsed here in the first quarter. And the basket by Curry. Defensively, you have to stay connected to him on the perimeter. James deciding where to go with it. And he banks in the layup. With his athletic ability, LeBron drives with purpose. He wants to put the D in a difficult position whenever he gets the chance. Now, here’s Payton. Hasn’t gotten one to fall yet. And looks like an illegal pick was set. That gets the ref’s attention. You can get away with one once in a while, but it looked like he wasn’t completely set on that pick. You got to blow the whistle when it’s that obvious. Great call there by the official. And the Warriors making a change here. Kumingas checked in. Curry against Donic. The three. They get it again. Hayes. The pass to Donic. Second shot opportunity and he’ll draw the foul. He’ll head to the line for two. It’s going to go on Draymond Green. Hey, if you can’t block it, sending him to the line can be the next best thing. And what do you guys think so far about the offensive approach for Los Angeles? Well, they’re off to a good start getting it inside and scoring at close range. Solid fundamentals so far in this one. And following off of what you said, they’ve really done a good job distributing the ball, passing up good shots for great ones. And he drops a first. Second free throw. No good. Warriors trail by seven. Pass to Peyton. Kamingo with it. Good work defensively by James. And now we’ll go to Alli Leforce who had a chance to talk with JJ Re. And no surprise, Steph Curry was the topic of conversation on how they’ll defend Steph. Coach laughed. Is there a way? I mean, this guy is not just a shooter. Steph’s ball handling, his passing, it’s what makes him an all-time great. It’s always a pleasure to watch Steph Curry and we get another chance to tonight, guys. Okay, thanks Ally. Los Angeles leading by seven. Uses the glass to finish the layup. James has got six points. Yeah, just too much big boy basketball by LeBron James. Just bodying defenders inside. Timeout called the Warriors. And how about LeBron? Even if he’s no longer the clear-cut best player in the league, he can still take over a game, RJ. Oh, make no mistake. He is still the best when he needs to be. Absolutely. Has a switch that gets flipped when he needs it. It’s not on for 48 minutes, but he can definitely turn it on for a few. Heat. Heat. Warriors trail by nine. Here’s Curry. He’s got five. Kuminga down low. Machimura covering and so he draws the foul headed to the line to shoot a pair. It’s his first trip to the line. Two, two, And he can’t get the first one. And he’s good on the second. Here’s Donic. James right side. Oh, he gets it to go. So far, he can’t miss. He’s four for four. Boy, I like their energy coming in. Terrific execution. so far couldn’t come up with a much better start than this. They just have to keep it going. Now here’s Kaminga. Five on the clock outside. Pajki fires for three. Dantic pulls down the board. Yeah, and the defense has really got to tighten up on him. I mean, he’s just too dangerous from the three-point line. Over Payton. Oh, and he got fouled on his way up. He’ll head to the line to shoot two. That’s on Gary Payton the second. And when you think of LeBron, his competitive spirit is to me the first thing that comes to mind. All this guy wants to do is win all the time. Take a break. Take a break. First one falls for him. Both free throws good from James. And so Curry will bring it up for the Warriors. A 12-point game. There’s the triple. And again, no good by Golden State. The Lakers have got eight of 15 shots to go. James. And it’s James with the jam. Building a big advantage early with a terrific all-around performance. They got off to such a hot start and that can keep you energized throughout the whole game. Now here’s Kaminga. Pass to Pajimsky. From down in the low post it goes. This team looks to him to score the ball. They feel good when he’s taking the shots outside. Reeves. Here’s Donic. That one drops for him. Donic has got six. They’ve controlled the paint so far. That’s been the difference. It also allows them to play inside out, which will make them even more difficult to defend. Now here’s Curry. Five points in the game. Back to Kaminga. Pocket six and the shot goes in. The Lakers lead by 12. Donic feeling it out a bit. And he loss it up top and finished off by Hayes. You know, the instincts of Luca Donic are second to none. Such a natural playmaker. Timeout called the Warriors. There’s just a lot of wide open lanes to the rim here that’ll drive your coach nuts. Yeah, we can see over here the coach, he has some choice words for his team. Words we cannot repeat. Heat up here. Heat. Heat. and a new group getting ready for the Lakers. Finny Smith checked in for Hayes. Vanderbilt comes in for Achie Mura. Connects checked in for James and Goodwin is subbed in for Reeves. Pass to heel. Here’s Post outside. Kaminga. Just five to shoot. Oh, a clear foul there on the missed shot. So, he’ll get a pair at the line. Well, we might as well count those free throw shots. Curry is automatic at the line. These are his first free throws of the game. Heat. Heat. First free throw is good. And so Curry nails both of them. For a star like him, you get lots of opportunities at the line and he’s great at cashing them in. Here’s Goodwin outside. Vanderbilt down low and they doubled up Donic. And here’s connect outside. Second chance shot. Good. Donic has got eight. How about the hustle from Donic? A winning player. Pass the post. And here’s Moody. Left side. Kaminga. The offensive rebound. Tries yet again. It’s hauled in by Luca Donuch. Donuch has got four rebounds in the game. Nice catch and finish on the lob and the Lakers lead by 16. Saw his teammate with a pass to the rim and boom, lobbed it up there beautifully. Very smooth catch and finish. Now here’s Curry. Seven points in the game. Count it. make that three of seven so far for him. He’s a magician inside. Curry always finds a window. Pass to Donic. Lets the three fly and that one falls. His fifth basket in seven tries. Got to fight harder to get over those screens. Yeah, as soon as these guys feel contact, they are just disappearing like they’re not even there. You got to show some fire and keep defending. Now here’s Curry. He’s got nine. Missed inside. Oh, old school right there. No easy buckets. Here’s connect. The rebound by Moody. Warriors trail by 17. A minute 39 left in the opening quarter. Over to the left wing. Six on the shot clock. It’s rebounded by Los Angeles. Good one. Passes to Donic. To the inside. Here’s Vanderbilt and he got the whistle on the way up. So, he’ll be headed to the line for a pair. Los Angeles shooting their sixth and seventh free throw shots in the game. Shooting two. And he drops a first. Vincent checked in for the Lakers. And so he hits both. 110 left in the first quarter. And so Curry will bring it up for Golden State. Trailing by 19 outside, Kaminga launches a three. Gets the three ball to go. Kaminga’s got six. Just great awareness from Curry. So good at reading the floor and finding his open teammates. Has to connect from outside the ark. Gets the three to fall. And the Lakers lead by 19. This is just fun. These teams are trading threes back and forth. This is today’s NBA. Hey, we see this kind of exchange more often than not. Now, here’s Kaminga. He’s got six, man. He made sure to get his money’s worth on that foul. He’s made one and missed one so far at the line. And the first one at the line is Hayes has checked in for Finny Smith. hits one, then misses the second attempt from the line. Los Angeles leading by 18. Here’s Goodwin. The layup misses and it’s out of bounds. Last touch by Moody. 17 seconds left to play in the first quarter. Here’s Curry. Oh, steps back and drains the jumper. Curry’s got 11 points. The impact of Curry on the offensive end, it’s about more than just the points. It’s about the gravity that he draws. And play stops. the whistle there on what looks like an illegal screen. You can get away with one once in a while, but it looked like he wasn’t completely set on that pick. You got to blow the whistle when it’s that obvious. Great call there by the official. Oh, he got it up in time, but it wouldn’t fall for him. And so it’s Los Angeles in control with a 16-point advantage heading into the break. Defense is setting the tone. All right, we’ll get back to the action after this break. Great to have you with us. Second quarter of basketball. This game has not exactly been neck and neck, but plenty of time left in this one. And for the Lakers, this has been the game they wanted to have. You can really see the strategy coming in. Get the ball into the painted area. And let me tell you, when you establish a physical edge, it gives you a mental edge, too. Well, Grant, with players getting bigger and more athletic, do you support moving the restricted area out? Yeah, BA, I would. We’ve seen a lot of injuries when defenders slide underneath elevated players on the drive. So, cutting down that risk makes a lot of sense. At the forward slots, it’s LeBron and Aimura. Austin Reeves out there with Gabe Vincent, and it’s Hayes in at the five. That’s the group for the Lakers to kick off the second quarter. Now here’s Vincent. No points so far. Here’s Aimura. James outside. Five to shoot. Pajimsky grabs the board. You got to move past that one. I mean, they’d want him to take that again. Yeah, it’s a great look for him. One they’ll try and manufacture again. Those are the shots you want him to take. Vincent with the ball defended by Pachki. Hayes. The pass to Reeves. Pass to Aimura. The shot misses. Green with the defensive effort. Warriors trail by 16. Playing with passion. Butler is never scared of a challenge. A wing who battles inside. First trip to the free throw line for him in this one. And something I remember from their last outing. He was excellent at the charity strike two. No good on that one. He hits the second from the line. Los Angeles leading by 15. Outside Reeves. Pass to Hayes. Oh, stolen by Payton. Jumps up. Throw it down on the breakaway jam. Adding insult to injury with the dunk off the steel. Nice to see a good play on D. That led to some fireworks. Once he poked it away, you knew what was on his mind. Count it. Reeves has gotten his second bucket. And just not letting up at all. I mean, you have to love this approach. You want to get the ball to the guys who make plays. This is when good players really get after it. He can sense that they’re reeling and he’s going to put his foot on the pedal. Here’s Heel after the Lakers picking up a basket just moments ago. Butler up top. Just three to shoot. Down low. Butler drops it in. Putting his body to work in the paint. Butler using his athletic skills to get it done. Peyton against James. I see you. I see you. Good D by Payton. Warriors trail by 13. Go. James with the rebound. James has got five rebounds tonight. Here’s Aimura. That falls. Nice speed that time from James. Aimura’s got five. And so it’s Butler who brings up the ball for the Warriors. that shot off. Aimura with the defensive effort. Los Angeles leading by 15. And it’s James with the jam. When LeBron is being aggressive on offense, you got to make a change. You can’t let him just have his way. Outside. Green off target from outside. And sometimes on defense, people just get lucky. Outside Reeves. Pass to James. Ooh. Now seven for nine after that make. They’ve been very wellrounded and extremely focused. Yeah. Not just an impressive showing on offense, but on defense as well. Executing their game plan perfectly. Now here’s Butler. He’s got five. Now Green. Back to Pajki. 43. Gets it to drop. Now two of four. Incredible passer at his position. Green is especially good at getting it to the open teammate. Reeves with the ball. Payton covering. Outside. Reeves. Pass to James. over healed. That one’s good from James on the assist by Reeves. Reeves has got three assists now in this one. Aimura against Butler. Here’s Pajinski. Henson grabs a miss. The Lakers lead by 18 and his defenses have adjusted to Austin Reeves scoring. Richard, he’s countered with the pass. Austin Reeves doesn’t get enough credit for how good his handle is, how much it’s improved. It’s allowed for him to score, get into different places, and make these passes. Timeout called. The Warriors failing to find a rhythm offensively, something that needs to change and change soon. And coach called his timeout to try and reset things on offense, shake them up a bit so they can hopefully start getting some shots to fall. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Some changes for Los Angeles. Finny Smith comes in for Hayes and Donic has subbed in for Vincent. Warriors trail by 20. Let’s go now to the sideline and catch up with Alli Leforce. We hear players proclaiming their love for the game. But former sharpshooter JJ Reic said there’s a distinction between loving the competition itself and loving the game and everything that goes into that. Guys say, “I just want to play.” Well, do you want to do all of the necessary things that lead up to that? Hey, Brian, 15 NBA seasons for Reic. He’d know. He certainly would. Thanks, Ally. two. The first one falls. Butler hits them both. Here’s Reeves outside. Finny Smith Aimura outside. The shot comes out. Warriors trail by 18. Inside, here’s Green and it’s hammered home by Green. With how much Draymond moves on the offensive end, Green gets a lot of dunk opportunities. Donuts left side. Warriors with the rebound. Peyton with it. Pass to Heel. And the officials whistle a foul on the shot. The bucket is good and he’ll go to the line. Able to complete the play, but he’s showing some strength physically and mentally. He’s getting his first free throw attempt of the game here. That’s good from Hill. Guys like Buddy Hill, knock down shooters. They are in high demand around the league. on the wing. Reeves guarded by Heel and he’s going to the line for two. The officials saw contact while he was going up. That one on healed. It’s his first trip to the line. shooting two. And he makes a first He’s off on the second. And so it’s Butler who brings up the ball for the Warriors. It’s a 14-point game. It’s Pajimky on the wing. No good from outside. The Lakers have gone six of 11 here in the second quarter. Here’s Aimura. Another miss. Two for nine so far. A perfect example of how to protect the rim. This is why he’s out there in situations like this. He stands tall to prevent points. When Butler is cleared for takeoff, just get off the runway. Aimura. The pass to Donic. Back to Aimura. Green with the defensive effort. And here are the Warriors now. They’re on a nine to one run. Peyton no good. The Lakers lead by 12. James up top. Guarded by Payton. Pass to Donic. Outside Finny Smith. Shot clock at six. That is blocked by Butler. An outstanding defender. Butler uses his size and length well to swat shots. Oh, lots of contact on the shot. So, two free throws will follow that whistle. Two First one falls for him. Some changes for Los Angeles. Vanderbilts checked in for Achimura and connects subbed in for Reeves. Moody’s checked in for the Warriors. Curry comes in for healed. hits both from the stripe. Los Angeles leading by 10. Time called here. Los Angeles decides to talk it over. Heat. Heat. Heat up here. Dom Kaminga. He’s checked in for the Warriors. Here’s Finny Smith. over Green and once again off the mark by Los Angeles. Pass to Butler. The kick out. Curry. Good. And Butler gets the assist. Curry’s got 14 points. Such a quick release. As soon as the ball touches his hands, it’s gone. Donic passes to Vanderbilt. James outside. Clock at six. Oh, it’s blocked by Green. This is the high impact D we expect from Green. An intelligent defender who can find these blocks outside. Moody three-pointer. Oh, Moody deadly from there. The Lakers lead by four now. James, he’s got 18. Here’s Fenny Smith. And they come right back with their own three-pointer. Penny Smith’s got his first bucket of the game. And he’s on the board for three. Pass to Green outside Butler. Here’s Kuminga. It’s rebounded by Los Angeles. James has got nine rebounds in the game. Boy, he’s getting it done. To the paint. Here’s Vandervelt. The basket drops and he gets fouled on the shot. One free throw coming his way. Such a wizard with the ball. James always finds the open man. He’s gone two for two at the line so far. One shot. Now the Warriors with it. They’re on a 17-7 run. Shot from 12. Curry creates inside. Boy, that’s unfair. Curry hitting those pull-ups from deep. Here’s Donic. Warriors with the rebound. Now here’s Kaminga. He’s got seven. Yep. Count it. Here’s Donic. Has to connect. Can’t cash it in from close range. Warriors trail by six. Well, Dalton Connect had a late growth spurt during college and it really helped his game. Grant, he really did. I mean, BA, he started college as a 6-3 guard, but grew three inches during his first two seasons and added some muscle. Now at 6’6, he can play confidently out there on the wing. You just got to love watching a big man hustle on the glass. This is what his team expects and needs from him. Offensive rebound. Los Angeles leading by six. Out to the wing. Back to Donic. Here’s the floater. The rebound by Post. Golden State has got three of five to fall from beyond the three-point line in the second. The shot by Butler. No good. Los Angeles has gone three of six from deep so far. James against Curry. James inside. Oh, LeBron sending it home. Look, the moment he gets it anywhere near the hoop, look, it is over. Just too much strength, too much touch either hand. Vanderbilt against Butler. Down low. Here’s Moody and he jams it home with authority. Now, that’s how you use the screen right there. And it leads to a thunderous finish. That was nice. Yeah, you like the pick to set up the open shot, but when it leads to a D. Okay, even better. He’ll take it. Oh my. Tight defense, but Donic just muscles it in. Butler against Vanderbilt on the wing. Curry. Good. And Butler gets the assist. Curry’s got 18 points in the game. And once more this half, they find a way to get great position inside. Here’s Donic. No luck on that one. Some solid defense from Butler. Here’s Moody. Oh, serious gut checkpoints from Moody. How sick was that, guys? I mean, he makes defenders look silly with moves like that. Here’s connect. Moody defends pass to Donic. Stolen away. Nice job to interrupt the alioop attempt. And so it’s LeBron James making things happen for the Los Angeles Lakers. Dominating on the glass. What a quarter. And more NBA action on 2K Sports coming your way right after this. The 2K Sports Halftime Show. Hey everybody, welcome back from the first half. Been a dandy so far. A dandy. You like that word, Kenny? You know what? It’s a dandy. My My third grade teacher used to say the whole time that you’re a dandy. So this is a dandy of a class. It is. And this is a dandy of a show. Ernie Johnson, Kenny the Jet, Shaquille O’Neal. So what’s a dandelion? Well, basically that’s what the class was. A really cool lion. Got it. LeBron James had it going on in the first quarter. He had 20 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. What you think, Kenny, about what we saw from the Lakers? It’s great to see a team going inside challenging the defense in the paint. You don’t see that mentality as often in today’s game. So much is perimeter. Guys want to stay on the outside. They don’t want to get sweat equity. Shaq, how’d you think the Warriors were playing? Well, their poor rebounding is really hurting them. It hasn’t killed them on the scoreboard yet, but they need to pick it up. This is a game they can win, and if they come out hustling in the second half, they can win. Thanks for joining us, folks. We’re now just a few minutes away from the start of the third quarter. And after a fairly even first couple of quarters, this second half could turn out to be a great one as both teams trying to gain an edge. You know, LeBron James has been exceptional here, guys. And given that he’s just delivered a double double through two quarters. I’m excited to see his stats at the end of the night, but I don’t think that that’s the most important thing to him. Sure, putting up big numbers doesn’t hurt, but he’s all about getting the win over everything else. And in that first half, we saw a pretty tight battle. We’ll soon find out what sort of adjustments were discussed during halftime. On the floor for the Warriors, Curry and Pods make up the back court. Gary Peyton the second is out there with Jimmy Butler. And it’s Green and at the center position. On a night like tonight, Steph Curry is mustwatch basketball. He can score from anywhere. Now here’s Reeves. Payton with a steal. That’s tipped. Pass to Green. Curry finds Green. Back to Curry. Just five on the clock. For the lead. It’s rebounded by Los Angeles. Aimura’s got his sixth rebound on the night. Pass to Donic. Donic drawing his weight around. A great move. I mean, the defense has no response. Yeah, taking it right to the rim. One imagines that might be discussed at halftime. That’s going to be on the film. Outside Curry for the tie. That won’t go either for Curry. Los Angeles leading by three. James outside. Not to be deterred, LeBron. That’s his go-to. Doing what he can to strengthen their lead. Pass to Green. Here’s Curry. And that comes off the assist by Green. Green’s got three assists in the game. And you’re asking for trouble when you give Curry this positioning. He’s so efficient down there. And we’re going to have a jump home. YouTube two players. And here are the Warriors now. The shot by Reeves. No good. And it’s Butler with the ball for Golden State. They trail by three. Pass to Curry. And here is Green outside. Butler. outside Payton. Just four to shoot. Lets it fly. The shot by Pajimsky. No good. And the shooter had very little space on that attempt. I’m sure they’ll think twice about shooting against him next time. And that one’s good. Few guys distribute better than Donic. He’s got good instincts for when and where to send the ball. And so it’s Golden State with it following the score by Los Angeles. Outside Pajki pass to Curry outside. Green and here’s Butler outside. Boom. Three for Jimmy. Nice shot from Butler making himself a threat from downtown. Curry against Donic. Here’s Hayes. And good work on the boards as they picked up the second chance points. Hayes has got five points. In a tight game, they wanted to make sure of that possession. Outside Payton back to Pajki. It’s Hayes with the rebound. Hayes has got six rebounds in the game. Here’s Donic. Luca on the attack and his fantastic performance from the last game has carried over to tonight. He’s just riding the wave of momentum right now. Getting to his spots and keeping things simple on the offensive side. Want to score in the NBA? Picks can really force the D to make tough choices. The Lakers lead by four. Pass to Hayes. Aimura left side. Now here’s Donic, right side. Reeds. The Warriors pull it in. Right side. Green lets it go from deep. Green able to hit from three. Their strategy has been pretty simple here in the second half. Attack from three-point range. And you see this so much more nowadays in the NBA. Team putting a larger emphasis on jacking up threes. Got his man all tangled up. I mean, serious crossover. Here’s Curry. And again, it’s Golden State. The Lakers call timeout. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Goodwin’s checked in for Los Angeles. Vincent comes in for Donic. Here’s Vincent. And the rebound goes to the Warriors. Green’s got rebound number eight now. The drive by Butler. The shot off that time. The Lakers in the lead. Here’s Goodwin. And a foul called on the way up. So he’ll take two from the free throw line. All right, a moment to look at the scoring approach in terms of where the points are coming from here for Los Angeles. Oh, they’ve been punishing the inside defense consistently in this one. Look, it’s been a very productive area of the floor for them. Yeah, and their team first approach is another thing you have to like. And they’ve had great ball movement and are getting a lot of points off assist. And he knocks down the first one. And he makes both free throws. Warriors trail by three. On the wing, Curry. He’s covered by Vincent. Butler passes to Green. Oh, Green flexing on him with the strong finish. Good luck against Green inside. Even when you throw contact at him, he just fights twice as hard. Vincent passes to Hayes. No good there. Green with the defensive effort and Curry’s got the ball here for Golden State. Pass to Green. Here’s PMski outside. Curry for the lead and they recover it. It’s deflected. Pson outside and it’s cleared by Stephen Curry. The Warriors have gotten seven of 14 attempts to fall in the half. And here’s Pajki. Here he goes. Oh, it’s stolen by Aimura. Here’s Goodwin. Um the layup. Goodwin’s got four points now in the quarter. Coach is loving the ball move. And here’s Pajki. Nine points in the game for the tie. Rebound by the Lakers. They led the game at one point by 20. on the wing. Reeves pass to Vincent. Now here’s Hashimura. Six to shoot. Ace finds Reeves. Puts up a deep three. The Lakers with the rebound. and he’ll take his third and fourth free throws of the night. The first free throw is good. Some changes for Los Angeles. Vanderbilt comes in for Achimura and connects Subbed in for Reeves. And the Warriors will go with a different look here. And so he’s able to get one of two. Warriors trail by four. Curry with it. 25 points in the game. Deflected and it’s the Lakers on the break. Pass to Goodwin and he lobbs it up to the rim and finished off by Hayes. And the lead increases on a crazy offensive sequence. Man, the dunk alone would have been incredible. let alone the fact that it came off a pinpoint pass. Now here’s Moody. He has seven. Kaminga up top guarded by Vanderbilt. Six on the shot clock. Fourth three. Stephen Curry. Not sure there’s such a thing as a bad three for Steph. And it’s Vincent off the drive. And count that. Two points and a chance for one more at the line. using his speed advantage to create the separation he needs for the shot. And he’ll be shooting his first free throw. One shot. One shot. Warriors trail by six. Pass to post. Back to Curry outside. Kaminga. It doesn’t go for him. Good D by Vanderbilt. Here’s connect. Moody defends. Here’s Vincent. Here’s Goodwin. Lays it up and in off the pretty assist. And now it’s an eight-point Los Angeles lead. And finding his teammate in stride. He led his guy perfectly. Now Curry. And he’s got 28 now. Two points. That one goes. Curry’s got 12 points here in the second half. The value of good ball movement isn’t lost on this squad. Now here’s Vincent. Defense is right there. Here’s connect. Hayes shots good. Hayes has got 10 points. How about the level of activity this dude just brings to the glass. Just refusing to give up on plays. and his teammates, trust me, they appreciate the effort. Now, here’s Kaminga. He’s got nine. 11 ft out and it’s healed missing. Los Angeles leading by eight. Here’s Goodwin. rebounded by Heield. Vincent outside. Has to connect. Just five to shoot. Goes up again and Vanderbilt lays it up and in. He has seven. Those are some hustle points. Really bonus points when you put in a miss. outside. Curry and here is Kaminga. Tipped away. Some solid defense from Hayes. Los Angeles has gotten three of their seven threes to find the net in this matchup. Vincent outside. Pass to Vanderbilt. That one goes. Count it. And the Lakers lead by 12. Golden State has got four of eight attempts to fall from deep here in the third quarter. Here’s Post outside. Kaminga. Moody with it. Moody gets one inside. Just a textbook lead pass right there. Putting it right where it needed to be. The Lakers lead by 10. 8sec difference between the shot clock and game clock. Vanderbilt to pass to Vincent to the inside. Hayes shots good. Hayes has got 12 points in the game. And trust me, when the D’s slow to react, he’ll be the first guy to make them pay. Yeah, they’re going to do a much better job of putting a little bit of pressure on him on his way to the hoop. And this will be a second trip to the free throw line. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. The first one falls and Los Angeles will go for a different look here. Both good from the line that time. Donic outside from deep. No good. Misses at the buzzer. And so it’s Los Angeles ending the quarter up 10. What has them in front right now? By and large, they’re taking great shots. More 2K action in just a moment. And it’s time now to bring you our State Farm assist of the game. Woo! I’m fired up to see this dish one more time. It’s always great to see your two guards share the wealth. Not just playing selflessly, but also making a smart decision with the ball. With three quarters behind us, let’s see what this fourth period holds in store. Reeves at the two with LeBron at the three. Rui Hachimura is out there with Dorian Finny Smith and it’s Donuchin at the one. That’s who’s in the game for the Lakers and he was fouled while in the act of shooting. So he’ll take two free throws. It’s going to go on Moses Moody. I love how physical James is. Terrific at getting defenses to foul him. Two shot. That free throw good from James. both free throws good from James. Warriors trail by 12 go. Pass to Green now. Pajimki goes up from the top of the key and he hits the jumper for two. Oh, nice feed on time and on target and Reeves has got the ball here for the Los Angeles Lakers from deep. Here’s Donic. The Lakers with the rebound. Big offensive board. They can milk that clock even more now. Now, you have to extend that defense. I mean, you really have to stay connected to them at all times. And the lack of defensive pressure on shots like that is a big reason they’re down by double digits. Now here’s Pajki. Pass to Kaminga. And there’s a 3second violation. That’s a costly error. And let’s see how they bounce back. Well, they don’t have time to dwell on that. They just need to learn from their mistakes and move forward. Next play. Outside Reeves with the ball. inside on the wing. Reeves down to five on the shot clock. Launches it. The Warriors pull it in. About a minute and a half into the fourth now. Now here’s Pajki guarded by Donic. Payton. Aimura with a rebound. Aimura’s got rebound number 10 tonight with that last one. Pass to Donic. Fires the three. They get it back and the basket by Achi Mura and the Lakers lead by 15. And there he is. I mean attacking the boards, converting off the misses. I mean trying to do everything he can to secure this W. Always giving Max effort on the glass, taking everything they’ll give him. Payton against Reeds and it’s Gary Peyton the second with a foul. That’s foul number two for him. And great job to establish position and square up. And the Warriors making a switch here. Butler’s checked in. The Lakers lead by 15. Here’s James. Got it. James has got 26. Absolutely ruthless. He’s not about to start showing mercy now. This is what you expect from him just coming alive and dominating in effortless fashion here in the fourth. Now here’s Pajki and so he draws the foul headed to the line to shoot a pair. And even from where we’re sitting, you could clearly tell it was a foul. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. That free throw misses. and he sinks the second. A little over two and a half minutes have passed here in the fourth. James outside chalk up two there. 28 points for him. But with his level of quickness, it’s tough to keep up defensively. And the Warriors call time here. Coach really needs to get his guys fired up and attacking the glass. They’re not putting up much of a fight and it’s led to way too many second chance shots. Heat. Heat. Heat up here. Fourth quarter keeps moving along. Three minutes gone by now. Butler finds Green. Back to Butler. Shot clock at five. Golden State needs to get off a shot and it’s hammered home by Green. And although he’s undersized at his position, his vertical, yeah, that’ll clean up a few mistakes. Donic passes to Finny Smith. Oh, there’s a killer two hand slam. And their offensive rebounding is such a strength for them when he’s on the floor. Yeah, he really helps them extend possessions, doesn’t he? Yeah, you can feel coach smiling on the sidelines with every offensive board. Now, here’s Pajki. Pass to Green. Good D by Finny Smith. And here are the Lakers. They’re on a 13-5 run. Here’s Reeds and the foul is called. He missed it. So, he’s got a couple of free throws coming his way. It’s going to go on Moses Moody. and he makes a first and Los Angeles making a change here. Hayes has checked in. And so Reeves nails both of them. Warriors trail by 20 outside Moody. Pass to Green. Get there. Get there. Back to Moody. And he got the whistle on the way up. So, he’ll be headed to the line for a pair. Shooting two. That one misses. and the second free throw is good. Now Los Angeles with it. They’re on a 15-6 run. Now here’s Reeves. Not a lot of room. That one is off. Warriors trail by 19. Here’s Pajki. Good. And Butler gets the assist. Butler’s got six assists in the game. The allaround game of Butler. He’s all about sharing the rock and getting his guys involved. Now here’s Reeds outside. Finny Smith. Just James on the wing. And there’s the lob and finished off by Hayes. Great teamwork and great timing. Oh, spectacular play. Butler with the ball. Finny Smith’s there. Butler with the bucket. Yeah, an assertive move there by Butler, shaking off his defender and finding the bucket. Now here’s Reeds. Moody defends. James outside. Payton with a steal. The finish and throws it down on the coast to coast drive. He was way ahead of the pack. No one around to contest. He can do anything he wants in that situation. And those might be the easiest points of the month for him. Now here’s Finny Smith. Here’s Hayes. And yes, it’s good. He’s seven for eight now. It looked like he was playing against his little brother out there. The way he just went right over him with his height. Oh, and he got fouled on his way up. He’ll head to the line to shoot two. Good whistle there. shooting two. And the first one at the line is good. Stephen Curry, he’s checked in for Moody. He’s perfect from the line this time. Here’s Reeves. Donic outside. Oh, plenty of contact on that shot. Officials call the foul and he’ll take two free throws now. And this team’s offensive catalyst, Donic puts pressure on the defense every possession. Two shots lasting the First one falls for him. And Donas is a walking triple double threat. His versatility and confidence is really special. And he can’t hit the second. And so it’s Green who brings up the ball for the Warriors. It’s a 16-point game. A shot by Butler. No good for Los Angeles. They’ve gotten seven to go out of 13 attempts during the fourth. James. And it’s James with the jam. But getting inside positioning is what he wants. And once that man gets in there and gets moving, oh, he’s going to finish that dunk. The drive by Butler. Count that one. Butler’s got four points now in the quarter. Taking people to school with moves like that. Donic against Curry. And it’s Donic missing. Warriors trail by 16. Butler passes to Green to the middle. Here’s Pajki and he slams it in one-handed. This man sees everything on the court. Curry just dropping dimes out there. Los Angeles has gone only one of four from the perimeter here in this fourth quarter. Curry against Donic. Chops in the layup for two. Donic has got 20 and staring at a sizable deficit. The defense has to tighten up. Curry surveys and Reeves pulls it down. Los Angeles leading by 16. Pass to Donic right here. And he’s going for the lob. Trying to go for a lob there. Excellent defense and anticipation to stop it. Green finds Butler. Outside Pajki. Butler on the wing. He’s marked by Finny Smith. Shot clock at six. Back to Pajki. Jacks up a three. Gets rebounded by Los Angeles. Fenny Smith’s got rebound number five here tonight. The drive by Reeds. That shot is off. Warriors trail by 16. The three. And there’s Curry on the assist from Butler. Curry’s got 35 in the game. Knocked down from the corner. That’s just a walk in the park for Curry. Reeves up top. Defended by Pajki. They get it back. Second shot opportunity. The shot by Reeves. No good. Nothing is going his way in this half offensively. Really having a hard time finding his shot. Good on the shot. I wouldn’t say Butler seeks contact, but he sure doesn’t turn it down. Here’s Reeves. The Warriors getting their last shot to go. Donic passes to Penny Smith. Reeves with the ball and a foul called on the way up. So he’ll take two from the free throw line. It’s going to go on Draymond Green. Well, that was clearly a foul. And that one falls for Reeves. Aimura’s checked in for the Lakers. and so Reeves nails both of them. Warriors trail by 13ish outside Curry. 13 ft out. It’s rebounded by Los Angeles. Hayes has got 13 rebounds in the game. Glass eating and the basket by Ashima and he’s now got the double double. You’d love to get the ball this close in every trip where you can almost just not miss. Now here’s PMKI. Tight defense on him. Yes, it’s good. Look at what he’s doing here. And it’s hard to imagine him playing much better. 144 left to play in the fourth quarter. And it’s Donic missing. Oh man, for whatever reason, he can’t get it going from three. And he’s pretty good from there, man. Good whistle there. Shooting two. And he knocks down the first one. Moody’s checked in for the Warriors. And that one goes in. two from the line that time. So, it’s Los Angeles now. They led the game at one point by 20. Pass to James. A minute 22 left in the fourth and he’s going for the oop here. Now, that’s a textbook alleyoop. I thought he’d go for the slam, but that worked. And so, Curry will bring it up for the Golden State Warriors trailing by 13. And here’s Moody. Checked by James. Moody with it. James is there. Moody misses. Los Angeles has gone one for five shooting from the arc here in the fourth. And there’s no way this margin gets closed down. Great execution of a game plan and a nice win here for the Lakers. I think it was their play in the paint that got them the win tonight. and the defense seemed powerless to stop them down low, resulting in plenty of high percentage shots for them. And when you look at the game, the one thing that helped fuel this team to victory was the efficiency for LeBron James. He was just dropping dimes left and right out there. Any opening that the D provided, he exploited it and found his teammates. And here are the Lakers. 13-point lead to the inside. It’s stolen by Heel. 8-second difference between the shot clock and game clock. And here’s Kaminga for three. Drains the triple. And what kind of defense was that? You can’t give up wide openen threes like that. What are you doing, Vincent outside, banked it in off the glass. Their home crowd has energized them all game. Now they’re closing it out. It’s always nice to perform like this, especially in front of the faithful home crowd. Curry. And the shot counts. He’s fouled. And it’s a chance for a three-point play. One shot. 11 seconds left in the final quarter. Now here’s Vincent. And so it’s the Lakers with the W. A competitive game. You have to feel like this crowd gave them a little extra edge. Yeah, they really fed off the energy. You saw their activity level go up. Just a tremendous performance. Well folks, that’s going to do it for now for Richard Jefferson, Grant Hill, and Ally Leforce. This is Brian Anderson saying thanks for watching. We’ll see you next time.
NBA LIVE! Los Angeles Lakers vs Golden State Warriors LIVE | July 15, 2025 | NBA PRESEASON | NBA 2K
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