The Lakers were eight games below.500 when the season began. They currently need four victories to reach the NBA Finals.
In Game 6, Los Angeles defeated the Golden State Warriors, the defending champions, 122-101 to progress to the Western Conference finals. The Denver Nuggets, the top seed in the West, will face the No. 7 seeded Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 on the road.
In Game 6, Los Angeles defeated the Golden State Warriors, the defending champions, 122-101 to progress to the Western Conference finals. The Denver Nuggets, the top seed in the West, will face the No. 7 seeded Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 on the road.
Due to a flurry of trades made by vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka midway through the season, the Lakers entirely rebuilt their roster after starting the year 2-10 under first-year coach Darvin Ham. Elias Sports Bureau analysis shows that they were the fourth club in league history to finish so many games under.500 and make it to the conference championship game since conferences were introduced in the 1970–71 season.
LeBron James reflected on L.A.'s shaky start and stated, "I felt like if we ever had the opportunity to upgrade our roster and put some more balance around myself and (Anthony Davis), I felt like we could make a run."
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| The Lakers never trailed against the Warriors in Game 6 |
They resumed their winning streak on Friday with a classic James effort.
James ended a personal string of 18 straight postseason games with fewer than 30 points scored by scoring 30 points on 10-for-14 shooting, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists.
James shared the distinction of becoming the only player 38 years of age or older to score at least 30 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a playoff game with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was seated in the second row at Crypto.com Arena. Abdul-Jabbar and James passed each other as the league's all-time greatest scorer in February.
"I just wanted to come in and make some plays, be efficient, defend at a high level, and help (Davis) rebound," James remarked. "Support our team's successful plays. And I succeeded in producing a couple of them.
The Lakers put on a strong showing Friday night following a devastating setback, as they have done throughout the postseason.
With Dennis Schroder beginning in place of Jarred Vanderbilt, Ham's opening lineup change allowed the Lakers to quickly gain a 27-10 advantage. Nine of his 17 points and 10 of his 20 rebounds came in the first quarter for Davis, who departed Game 5 early after absorbing an unintentional shot to the side of the head.
However, the Warriors, led by Stephen Curry, the current MVP of the Finals, reduced the deficit to five at the opening of the second quarter. Curry led his squad with a game-high 32 points in the first quarter, but his team failed to get going against the Lakers' defence (3-for-14 from 3-point range).
Austin Reaves' half-court heave that went through the net to beat the end of the second quarter helped the Lakers extend their advantage to ten points at halftime, 56-46. One of five Lakers to score in double digits, Reaves finished with 23 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds.
Reaves remarked after his 54-foot field goal attempt to close the half, "It felt good." It didn't feel bad when I shot it, but you don't make many of those.
However, the Warriors, led by Stephen Curry, the current MVP of the Finals, reduced the deficit to five at the opening of the second quarter. Curry led his squad with a game-high 32 points in the first quarter, but his team failed to get going against the Lakers' defence (3-for-14 from 3-point range).
Austin Reaves' half-court heave that went through the net to beat the end of the second quarter helped the Lakers extend their advantage to ten points at halftime, 56-46. One of five Lakers to score in double digits, Reaves finished with 23 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds.
Reaves remarked after his 54-foot field goal attempt to close the half, "It felt good." It didn't feel bad when I shot it, but you don't make many of those.
The 1987 Seattle SuperSonics and the Lakers are the only other No. 7 seeds to advance the conference finals since seeding began in 1984.
"A challenging year to say the least, but at the end of the day, we kept powering through, our vibes stayed positive, and once we righted the ship and switched out some pieces, we came together. I'm just happy and thankful that I get to sit in this seat and enjoy the ride," Ham said.
With the play-in tournament included, the Lakers are now 7-0 at home in these postseason. They ended the Warriors' 28-game winning streak in postseason series on the road.
James will be participating in his 12th conference final. His teams have a 10-game winning streak, with his single defeat coming in 2009 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, when they were defeated by the Orlando Magic in six games.
James broke a tie with Derek Fisher for the most postseason series wins with the victory, giving him 41 in his 20-year career.
The leaders of Los Angeles appear to still have work to do. James resisted the suggestion that the Lakers were suddenly playing with house money after getting it this far after such a challenging start when asked about it.
James stated, "We're aiming to win every hand.
As he has done during the playoffs, Davis increased his bet while seated next to James.
That's what you all expect, Davis added. The team's internal expectations are much higher than simply competing in the Western Conference Finals.
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