Klay Thompson scored 30 points including eight three pointers, Golden State limited Anthony Davis while allowing LeBron James 23 points, and the defending champion Warriors evened their Western Conference semi-final with the Los Angeles Lakers at one game apiece with a 127-100 win on Friday (AEST).
Stephen Curry added 20 points and 12 assists as Splash Brother Thompson shined to help Golden State make 21 more threes – giving the Warriors an NBA record for most in the first two games of a playoff series at 42.
James’ Cavaliers hit 40 against Atlanta in the 2016 second round.
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Warriors 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 one 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 Davis in the paint – where Golden State got thoroughly outplayed in a 117-112 loss in the opener.
Davis followed up his brilliant game one performance – 30 points, 23 rebounds, five assists and four blocks and 11-for-19 shooting – with 11 points while shooting 5 for 11, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
The Jekyll and Hyde nature of Davis’ performance left champion NBA centre Kendrick Perkins bemused on Twitter.
“I just don’t understand the two different versions,” Perkins wrote, while adding he looked “totally disinterested” in the first half.
“I just don’t get it!”
Lakers coach Darvin Ham credited Draymond Green’s defence for part of Davis’ struggles.
Ham said the Lakers needed to get creative with how and where Davis is getting the ball.
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.
The Warriors had more fast break points and points in the paint.
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 three on Sunday (AEST).
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James shot 6 for 8 in the first quarter with a pair of threes for 14 points as the Lakers led 33-26.
He retrieved a loose ball and let it fly for a pretty three with 7:47 before halftime but the Warriors were too much.
Golden State outscored the Lakers 84-47 over the second and third quarters – recording two 40 point quarters in the same playoff game for the first time in franchise history.
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Looney received huge roars as he came off the bench for his first action with 3:41 left in the first quarter.
He grabbed eight rebounds and scored six points playing just less than 12 minutes.
Kerr was hardly worried ahead of game two, pointing to how Golden State lost game one 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.
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