NBA Playoffs: Lakers dethrone Warriors to punch Western Conference finals ticket

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Los Angeles Lakers’ magical postseason continues after ousting the reigning and defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of their Western Conference semifinal showdown, 122-101, last May 13, 2023, in the ongoing NBA Playoffs.

Needing just one win away to return to the Western Conference finals after three years, the Lakers showed they were the hungrier team after asserting their mastery over the Warriors in front of their home fans.

LeBron James was once again terrific in the crucial close-out game and finished with a near triple-double stat line of 30 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and a block.

James laid it all on the floor and exploded for 10/14 from the shooting field despite only resting for a total of five minutes in the entire game.

The Lakers got what they needed as they went off to a rousing start when they built a comfortable 17-point lead, 27-10, off an Austin Reaves three-point bomb from the left corner with 4:42 still remaining in the opening quarter.

However, the high-octane offense of the Warriors helped them come back quickly, erasing their double-digit deficit heading into the second frame, 32-26.

Los Angeles responded with their dominance in the paint as their frontcourt punished the smaller Golden State personnel to extend it again to double digits.

Noticing that it was Los Angeles’ post-up plays that helped the Lakers maintain their lead, Golden State’s head coach Steve Kerr adjusted in the third quarter when he deployed a 3-2 zone defensive scheme.

Although the Warriors were able to neutralize the paint scoring of the Lakers because of that adjustment, Los Angeles was wise to revert to their swing pass action and found open shooters from the corners that kept their commanding advantage.

The Lakers then just kept on pushing the pace and protected their double-digit lead until the final game buzzer.

Reaves was also huge during the Game 6 win after backstopping James with his 23 points, six assists, and five rebounds.

With the win, the Lakers just set up a Western Conference finals showdown with the no.1 seeded Denver Nuggets squad that took down Kevin Durant and Devin Booker’s Phoenix Suns’ during the semifinals.