Getty Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors.
On Thursday night, the Golden State Warriors got even. Literally.
After a disappointing loss in Game 1 against the Los Angeles Lakers, they absolutely dominated Game 2, picking up a 27-point win by a score of 127-100.
Everything came together beautifully for the Warriors as they dominated the three-point line, led by Klay Thompson. After the game, LeBron James showed love to the Warriors star when discussing his team’s defensive efforts.
“We’re still the best defensive team in the league if not one of them,” James said. “So, that doesn’t change, and that’s what we hang our hats on. But like I said, you give credit where credit’s due. Klay was spectacular tonight.”
Thompson ended the night with a game-high 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting from the field and 8-of-11 shooting from behind the three-point line. He also added three boards and one assist to his totals.
In addition to his praise for Thompson, James also shouted out Draymond Green and JaMychal Green for their contributions in the Warriors win.
“Draymond was great in the pocket pass with the rolls and things of that nature,” said James. “JaMychal gave them big-time minutes. Those 12 minutes felt like 24 minutes [or] 30 minutes. He was big-time for their team in a starting role tonight, too. So, you give credit where credit is due, and we move on to the next game. But our defense is where we hang our hats, and that doesn’t stop, no matter who we’re playing against.”
As for the Lakers superstar, James finished the game with 23 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. He shot 10-of-18 from the floor and 3-of-8 from deep. Neither he not Anthony Davis played in the fourth quarter.
Steve Kerr Praises JaMychal Green After Warriors Win
Speaking of JaMychal Green, the Warriors forward played a big role in their Game 2 win. Head coach Steve Kerr gave him the start in place of Kevon Looney, and it completely changed both teams’ approach.
Kerr spoke highly of Green after the game, praising him for always staying ready.
“I’m just proud of J-Mike. It’s been a tough year for him for a lot of reasons…,” Kerr said via 95.7 The Game. “He just stayed ready, and he took advantage of his opportunity.”
Stephen Curry Preaches Warriors Changes Regarding Free Throws
After their Game 1 loss, Stephen Curry made it a point to discuss ways to correct the free-throw disparity, as the Lakers shot 23 more free-throws than the Warriors.
“AD [Anthony Davis] is going to put pressure on you all game, so you’d like to not let him get eight off, that might not kill you,” Curry said via the NBA Interviews YouTube channel. “It’s more the other guys, the ball handlers. [Dennis] Schroder gets 10 free throws. That can’t happen. Whether we think its a foul or not we can’t put ourselves in that situation. That’s how he makes an impact because he is super quick, you know, in his first step. We do have a certain strategy around him, but you can’t let him get to the line 10 times, that’s a killer. We’ll make those adjustments. Understand again, it was a quick turnaround from Game 7 against Sac [Sacramento Kings]. We’ll be locking in on what the Lakers do well and our confidence is high that we can bounce back.”
In Game 1, the Lakers only got one more attempt than Golden State.
