Klay Thompson scored a game-high 30 points with eight 3-pointers as the defending champions Golden State Warriors evened their NBA Western Conference semi-final with the Los Angeles Lakers at one game apiece with a 127-100 win.
Stephen Curry added 20 points and 12 assists as Splash Brother Thompson shined to help Golden State make 21 more 3-pointers – giving the Warriors an NBA record for most in the first two games of a playoff series at 42.
Coach Steve Kerr switched things up and inserted JaMychal Green into the starting lineup for Kevon Looney, who had a career-high 23 rebounds in Game 1 but has been dealing with an illness.
Kerr aimed to give a different look with scoring options and perhaps more free-throw chances by going hard at Anthony Davis in the paint – where Golden State got thoroughly outplayed in a 117-112 loss in the opener.
Thompson’s basket with 7:48 left in the third gave Golden State its biggest lead at 82-64 and the Warriors rolled from there.
“They made their adjustments. We knew they were going to do that, that’s what a championship team does,” Lakers star LeBron James, who had 23 points, said.
“They held serve on their home court tonight.”
The Warriors had more fast-break points and points in the paint as JaMychal Green matched his playoff career high with 15 points, while Draymond Green contributed 11 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists after insisting he had to get more aggressive.
The best-of-seven series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3.
James shot 6 for 8 in the first with a pair of 3s for 14 points as the Lakers led 33-26.
He retrieved a loose ball and let it fly for a pretty 3 with 7:47 before halftime but the Warriors were too much.
Kerr was hardly worried ahead of Game 2, pointing to how Golden State lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals at home to Boston last year before winning it all.
The Warriors also rallied from a 2-0 deficit in their first-round series to beat Sacramento, the first defending champion to ever do so.
“Klay got it going and our defence was kind of fuelling our offence,” Kerr said.
