LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anthony Davis had 25 points and 13 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers regained their lead in their Western Conference semifinal series, routing the Golden State Warriors 127-97 in Game 3 on Saturday. .
LeBron James started slow but finished with 21 points, eight assists and eight rebounds for the Lakers, who now win 2-1.
D’Angelo Russell made five 3-pointers and totaled 21 points also for Los Angeles, the West’s seventh seed, which remained undefeated at home this postseason after a strong defensive performance against the reigning NBA champions.
James didn’t attempt a shot in the first quarter, something that hadn’t happened in his NBA-record 275 playoff appearances.
The star righted the ship in time to lead several streaks in the second and third quarters as the Lakers pulled away.
Stephen Curry scored 23 points and Andrew Wiggins added 16, but the Warriors looked wildly erratic. They lost 19 balls and never responded to the Lakers in the second half.
Golden State made 13 of 44 3-pointers, including just 10 while the game was still in progress. They had hit 21 in each of the first two games of the series in San Francisco.
Game 4 is scheduled for Monday night in Los Angeles.