Lakers punish the NBA champs to take a 2-1 lead
The Los Angeles Lakers have taken a 2-1 lead in their second-round playoff series with a 127-97 home victory over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night. Anthony Davis had 25 points and 13 rebounds, while a slow-starting LeBron James finished with 21 points, eight assists and eight rebounds. D'Angelo Russell hit five 3-pointers while scoring 21 points for the seventh-seeded Lakers, who remain unbeaten at home in the postseason with a strong defensive effort against the reigning NBA champions. James didn't take a shot in the first quarter for the first time in his NBA-record 275 playoff appearances, but he warmed up in time to lead several runs in the second and third quarters helping Los Angeles pull away. Stephen Curry scored 23 points and Andrew Wiggins had 16 in a collective stinker for the Warriors, who committed 19 turnovers and never mounted a response to the Lakers on either end in the second half. Golden State went 13 for 44 on 3-pointers - making just 10 while the game was still competitive - after hitting 21 in each of the series' first two games in San Francisco. Game 4 is Monday night in Los Angeles. In the Eastern Conference, Jimmy Butler scored 28 points to lead the Heat over the Knicks 105-86, giving Miami a 2-1 series lead with game four Monday on their home court. Butler missed Miami's loss Tuesday after suffering an ankle injury in the series opener, but returned to help the Heat lead from start to finish. "I'm comfortable, I'm confident and I work extremely hard at my craft," Butler said. Max Strus added 19 points for Miami while Bam Adebayo added 17 points and 12 rebounds and Kyle Lowry had 14 points. (AP, AFP)