The Los Angeles Lakers secured their third consecutive victory on Saturday, overcoming the Golden State Warriors 105-99 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Both clubs entered the matchup shorthanded. Luka Doncic, Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler were all unavailable, while Deandre Ayton was a late scratch for the Lakers because of knee soreness. Head coach Darvin Ham inserted Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes into the starting lineup to fill the gaps.
The Lakers opened with a quick burst — Hachimura drilled a three-pointer, Marcus Smart added another from long range, and Hayes finished a dunk — but cooled off as the first quarter progressed. Luke Kennard, making his team debut, stopped the drought with a three, yet Los Angeles trailed 21-20 after one.
An uneven second quarter featured more turnovers than highlights. LeBron James briefly nudged the Lakers in front, but Pat Spencer’s buzzer-beating layup sent Golden State to the locker room ahead 42-41.
Momentum swung immediately after the break. Draymond Green picked up a technical foul as the first half ended, allowing Austin Reaves to tie the score with a free throw before play resumed. James then poured in nine straight points, prompting a quick Warriors timeout. The Lakers stretched the advantage to 12, and Hachimura’s corner three closed the third period with Los Angeles on top 79-71.
Hachimura stayed hot to open the fourth, but back-to-back triples from Moses Moody and Green trimmed the margin to one. Kennard answered from the right corner, and layups by Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt rebuilt a cushion the Warriors could not erase. The Lakers maintained a double-digit lead down the stretch to seal the 105-99 win.
Up Next
Los Angeles faces a demanding stretch before the All-Star break: a back-to-back against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday and the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, followed by a Thursday meeting with the Dallas Mavericks.
Source: LakersNation.com
