Davis Powers Lakers in Game 3 Rout of Warriors As They Reclaim Series Lead

• The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors in Game 3
• The Lakers preserved their unbeaten home record in this year’s playoffs
• Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell starred for the Lakers in Saturday’s win

The Los Angeles Lakers overcame an 11-point deficit to beat the Golden State Warriors 127-97 on Saturday night for a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference semifinals series.

Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell starred in the Game 3 win for the Lakers, who remained unbeaten at home in this year’s playoffs.

Davis registered another double-double in the postseason, finishing with 25 points and 13 rebounds.

Russell scored 21 points, 15 of which came from the 3-point area.

Warriors build early lead

Chris Paul takes over late in Game 4 to help Suns take 3-1 series lead vs. Clippers

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It was the Warriors, however, who dominated in the early stages of this contest. They quickly erased a 9-2 deficit and built a 30-23 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Adding to the Lakers fans’ worries was LeBron James’ passiveness. He didn’t attempt a single shot in the opening 12 minutes of play.

The Warriors stretched their advantage to 40-29 with 7:53 remaining in the second quarter following back-to-back 3-pointers by Steph Curry and Moses Moody.

Lakers record stunning rally

Just when it seemed the defending champions were in cruise control, the Lakers came roaring back with a stunning run to end the first half.

The Lakers closed the second quarter with a 30-8 blast to grab a 59-48 advantage at the halftime break.

They extended their lead in the third quarter, outscoring the Warriors 27-20.

The Warriors waved the white flag with 9:11 left to play, with Steve Kerr pulling his starters.

Knicks beat Cavs in Game 4 to take 3-1 series lead; Julius Randle benched late in win

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What caused the Warriors' loss?

Poor outside shooting and turnovers doomed the Warriors in their Game 3 loss. They shot just 13 of 44 from beyond the arc on Saturday after draining 21 3-pointers in each of the series’ first two games, per ESPN.  

With their threes not falling, the Warriors failed to reach 100 points for just the fifth time in 92 games this season.

To make matters worse for the Warriors, they committed 19 turnovers which led to 27 points for the Lakers.

Butler leads Miami in Game 3

Sports Brief recently reported on the Heat's win over the Knicks in Game 3.

Jimmy Butler made a winning return to Miami's starting lineup on Saturday.

He scored 28 points in the 105-86 win.