May 13, (THEWILL) – The Los Angeles Lakers stunned the Golden State Warriors, eliminating the defending champions in Game 6 of their Western Conference semi-final series in LA.
The Lakers, who will now face the Denver Nuggets in the conference finals, which begin on Tuesday, opened with a 17-point lead in the first quarter, and LeBron James led the team with 30 points, securing his first playoff game with 30+ points since the 2020 NBA Finals. The Warriors struggled to keep up, with Stephen Curry’s 32 points on 11-of-28 shooting not enough to close the gap.
The Lakers’ impressive win in Game 6 was mainly due to a dominant offensive performance from James, who dictated the game’s flow, bullied his way to the rim, and relentlessly hunted mismatches. His near-triple-double of 30 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists propelled the team to their 42nd conference finals appearance.
LA’s offensive depth was also a crucial factor, with five players scoring in double figures, compared to the Warriors’ two. The loss marks the Warriors’ first playoff series defeat outside of the finals under coach Steve Kerr. Throughout the series, the Lakers’ offence presented a different problem for the Warriors’ defence at every turn, with James being the headliner in Game 6.
However, other players including Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Davis, and Lonnie Walker IV each contributed to the win. With this victory, the Lakers have secured a rematch against the Denver Nuggets in the conference finals, and are one step closer to an NBA championship.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
