LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were able to successfully sweep their first back-to-back during the 2019-20 NBA season after dominating the Golden State Warriors.
Even without Anthony Davis suiting up, the Lakers proved to be too much for the injury-riddled Warriors as they were able to once again move the ball efficiently on offense, tallying up 31 assists on 48 made field goals. It was a one-sided affair for almost the entire night as Golden State simply had no answers for Los Angeles size and length and the game was seemingly decided early in the fourth quarter as head coach Frank Vogel was able to rest his starters thanks to the bench’s solid play.
When asked if it was weird to play a Warriors team missing Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, James was straightforward and to the point.
“Not when you’re in it, no. I think when I’m watching them when I’m at home and it’s one of them off nights and I’m watching them, then it becomes weird then just seeing Klay in a suit and not seeing Steph out there, but not when you play them,” James shared.
“I played them in the Finals without Kyrie and Kevin, so no.”
Thompson and Curry will most likely miss the remainder of the season as they deal with injuries, meaning this is a rebuilding year for the defending Western Conference champions. As a result, the Western Conference is wide open for the first time in five seasons and James and the Lakers are poised to make a serious run at the 2020 NBA Finals.
Without arguably the best backcourt in the league playing, the Lakers had little trouble defending the Warriors as no one provided the same spacing and shooting that Curry and Thompson provide. Los Angeles was able to hold Golden State to under 100 points while also finding their stroke from the outside as they were able to convert on 9-of-20 threes.
James, who is currently leading the league in assists per game, continued his brilliance on offense as he was able to sling passes all over the court en route to a game-high 12 assists. He also scored 23 points on 11-of-20 shooting, showing that he has plenty left in the tank.
It was a solid outing for a Lakers team that continues to build chemistry and they fortunately get another lucky break as they next play the Sacramento Kings.
