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The Los Angeles Lakers used a strong rally in the second half to secure a 112-102 victory over the Houston Rockets and take a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference Semifinals.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined for 62 points for the second straight game, while Rajon Rondo delivered another solid performance from the bench with 21 points and nine assists.
James Harden filled it in for the Rockets with 33 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, while Russell Westbrook added 30 points on the night.
Here are the key takeaways from Game 3:
King James sets the tone
LeBron James was a man on a mission in Game 3, exploding for 29 points in the first half on an efficient 10 of 14 shooting from the field.
As both teams exchanged buckets freely in the first half, James coldly dropped jump after jump and aggressively worked his way to the rim, culminating the first 24 minutes with this two-handed hammer.
LeBron James finishes his first half of 29 points with the two-handed hammer!
Half time in Game 3:@Lakers 61@HoustonRockets 64#NBAPlayoffs on TNT pic.twitter.com/nFanp7j1el
– NBA (@NBA) September 9, 2020
He finished with 36 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four blocks, shooting 12 of 23 from the field and 4 of 9 from the 3-point line, making it the 88th playoff game of his career with at least 30. points. , five rebounds and five assists, matching the combined totals of Michael Jordan (51) and Kobe Bryant (37).
With the victory, LeBron also climbed to first place on the NBA’s all-time list with the most wins in the playoffs (162), leaving Derek Fisher in second place (161).
“He says I’ve played with a lot of great teams,” James said.
“He says I’ve played with a lot of great teammates and some great coaches. Whether in Cleveland, in Miami and now here in Los Angeles, you don’t get those victories without your teammates and the coaching staff that prepares and does everything. the preparation behind the scenes … It doesn’t happen without the supporting cast. That’s why I can sit here with this achievement. “
Anthony Davis got to work on the inside, scoring 26 points, 15 rebounds and six assists as he continually pressured the Rockets’ smaller defenders.
The Lakers turn the screws on defense
After trailing 64-61 at the half, the Lakers emerged with a renewed sense of urgency on the defensive end, holding the Rockets to just 38 points in the second half.
Harden and Westbrook combined for 38 of the team’s 64 points at the half, with Harden leading the way with 21 on 8 of 16 shooting. Coming out of halftime, the Lakers zeroed in on the league’s leading scorer, sending a swath of doubles and traps in their direction, forcing the ball out of their hands.
He scored just 12 points the rest of the way on six field goal attempts.
“We knew in the first half before half time that we didn’t play our best defensively,” James said after the game.
Bron organizing a street party! ❌ pic.twitter.com/KUGSfPmwV7
– NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) September 9, 2020
“We let them get into the lane, no competition, we allowed them to hit some 3s with no competition, our rotations were slow, so when we entered the locker room we watched a movie and had an immediate conversation about what we were doing. We can do in the second half. to improve and be better, and we were able to transfer that to the second half. “
Rondo lead bench unit
The ‘Playoff Rondo’ legend continues to amaze, with the 34-year-old delivering another impressive performance in Game 3.
He scored 21 points (12 in the fourth quarter) and nine assists on 8 of 11 shooting and 3 of 5 from the 3-point range, giving the Lakers a huge boost in the fourth quarter.
Rajon Rondo last 2 games:
10 pts | 9 AST | 5 STL | W
21 PTS (11 in Q4) | 9 AST | WThe Lakers have outscored the Rockets by 35 points when Rajon Rondo is on the court. pic.twitter.com/19HESlv7YL
– StatMuse (@statmuse) September 9, 2020
Rondo scored or assisted on 23 of the Lakers’ 30 points in the final draw, coming hugely in the crucial 17-5 run to give them a break.
He buried consecutive 3s and then landed a steal for a quick layup, before finding Alex Caruso for a 3-pointer to put the Lakers up 10.
Rondo with 8 fast PTS in the quarter and LAL goes up 10!@Lakers 97@HoustonRockets 87#NBAPlayoffs on TNT pic.twitter.com/L0jtwHhXoN
– NBA (@NBA) September 9, 2020
The Lakers bench outscored the Rockets ‘reserves 42-16 on the night, with Kyle Kuzma adding 14 points, while Jeff Green accounted for the Rockets’ 16 bench points.
Whats Next?
The Rockets will look to level the series when the two teams meet in less than 48 hours, and Game 4 will begin on Friday, September 11 at 4:30 a.m. IST on NBA League Pass.
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