The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors 117-112 in an action-packed thriller at the Chase Center. They stole home-court advantage from the defending NBA champs and lead the series 1-0.
Anthony Davis' dominance was on display as he dropped 30 points along with securing 23 rebounds.
Here are the key takeaways from Game 1:
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Free-throw differential and 3-point shot-making
The Golden State Warriors' past troubles came to haunt them as they couldn't keep the Lakers away from the free throw line. Defending without fouling has been their goal all season, but the Warriors failed to do so tonight.
Golden State Warriors fouls - 24
LA Lakers fouls - 12
The Lakers attempted a total of 29 free throws, compared to the Warriors' 6. It was a huge differential, which eventually made it difficult for the Warriors to stay ahead in the game.
The Warriors were red hot from beyond the arc (21-53), making almost 40% of their shots. Meanwhile, the Lakers made only six of their 25 three-point attempts.
A +45 differential. The Lakers still held their own on the defensive end and drove to the paint for the win.
Jordan Poole stepped up and silenced his critics
Before the game, a lot of eyes were on Jordan Poole. After receiving a lot of criticism for coming off a below-average performance in the first round against the Kings, Poole stepped up and showed everyone what he was capable of.
Off the bench, Jordan dropped 21 points and six assists, including six threes coming at crunch times throughout the game.
The Golden State Warriors' comeback wasn't quite enough
Golden State were down 112-98 at the 5:57 mark late in the fourth quarter. Then came an improbable 14-0 run for the Warriors to tie the game at 112-112. But the Dubs couldn't hold on to the momentum as they succumbed to the late free throw shooting by the Lakers to end the game.
Game 2 on Thursday. Will the Warriors tie the series 1-1 or will the Lakers head home taking an unassailable 2-0 lead?
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