Klay Thompson scores 30, Warriors adjust to beat Lakers 127-100

SANFRANCISCO (AP) — After yet another big basket, Klay Thompsonscurried toward the fans sitting courtside opposite the Warriorsbench and raised his arms in the air to ignite an entire arenabehind him. It didn’t take much the way his shots were falling.

He has beenwaiting his entire life to shine against his father’s Los AngelesLakers on the big stage.

Thompsonscored 30 points with eight 3-pointers, Golden State limitedAnthony Davis while allowing LeBron James 23 points, and thedefending champion Warriors evened their Western Conferencesemifinal with the Lakers at one game apiece with a 127-100 winThursday night.

“I was justtrying to get the crowd going,” Thompson said. “It’s always funwhen you shoot the ball well, it’s even better when you couple thatwin a win.”

StephenCurry added 20 points and 12 assists as Splash Brother Thompson gothot to help Golden State make 21 more 3-pointers — giving theWarriors an NBA record for most in the first two games of a playoffseries at 42. James’ Cavaliers hit 40 against Atlanta in the 2016second round.

“They madetheir adjustments. We knew they were going to do that, that’s whata championship team does,” James said. “They held serve on theirhome court tonight.”

Coach SteveKerr switched things up and inserted JaMychal Green into thestarting lineup for Kevon Looney, who had a career-high 23 reboundsin Game 1 but has been dealing with an illness. Kerr aimed to givea different look with scoring options and more free-throw chancesby going hard with a physical presence against Davis in the paint —where Golden State got thoroughly outplayed in a 117-112 loss inthe opener.

Thompson’sbasket with 7:48 left in the third gave Golden State its biggestlead at 82-64 and the Warriors rolled from there.

“Klay gotit going and our defense was kind of fueling our offense,” Kerrsaid.

TheWarriors had more fast-break points and points in the paint.JaMychal Green matched his playoff career high with 15 points,while Draymond Green contributed 11 points, 11 rebounds and nineassists after insisting he had to get more aggressive.

“I’ve beenwaiting on this moment, just wanted to show that I could help,”JaMychal Green said. “They always tell me to stay ready, my timewill come.”

Thebest-of-seven series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Saturday.Back home in Southern California, Thompson said he would play inthe memory of “my biggest inspiration” Kobe Bryant and daughter,Gigi.

“I have somuch respect for just the opportunity ahead for me,” Thompsonsaid.

James shot6 for 8 in the first with a pair of 3s for 14 points as the Lakersled 33-26. He retrieved a loose ball and let it fly for a pretty 3with 7:47 before halftime but the Warriors were too much.

Davisfollowed up his brilliant Game 1 performance — 30 points, 23rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots and 11-for-19shooting — with 11 points while shooting 5 for 11, seven rebounds,four assists and three blocks.

“We playedwith more force,” Draymond Green said.

GoldenState outscored the Lakers 84-47 over the second and third quarters— recording two 40-point quarters in the same playoff game for thefirst time in franchise history.

“It washard for us to guard four shooters,” Lakers forward Rui Hachimurasaid. “Defensively they were more aggressive I feel like. They hadall the loose balls and the rebounds and everything.”

Looneyreceived huge roars as he came off the bench for his first actionwith 3:41 left in the first. He grabbed eight rebounds and scoredsix points playing just less than 12 minutes — and the Warriorsstill outboarded the Lakers 55-40 without its best rebounder.

“We’recapable of playing a lot of different ways, I’m capable of playinga lot of different ways,” Curry said.

Kerr washardly worried ahead of Game 2, pointing to how Golden State lostGame 1 of the NBA Finals at home to Boston last year before winningit all.

TheWarriors also rallied from a 2-0 deficit in their first-roundseries to beat Sacramento, the first defending champion to doso.

“You couldtell, they came out just ready to try to secure a game,” Lakerscoach Darvin Ham said, “and again not go back to our place down0-2.”

KLAY’SDAY

Thompsonshot 11 for 18 and 8 of 11 from deep. His 19 points in the firsthalf were his most in a postseason contest since he scored 21 inGame 6 against the Rockets in 2019.

KEYSEQUENCE

TheWarriors challenged an offensive foul call on Andrew Wiggins withJames defending at the 2:50 mark of the second quarter. The callwas overturned and a block assessed to James, and a Lakersassistant received a technical during the review process — and theWarriors converted all three free throws to lead 60-50 beforeThompson’s 3 the next time down.

TIP-INS

Lakers:James was -27 through three quarters. The only time he had a worseplus-minus through three in a playoff game was Game 1 of asecond-round series against the Pistons in 2006. ... In a bigchange from Game 1, the Lakers didn’t take their first free throwsuntil 1:03 before halftime and their four attempts matched theirsecond-fewest in a first half this season.

Warriors:Moses Moody added 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench andGary Payton II seven points and five boards as Golden Statecontrolled the glass all game. ... JaMychal Green earned his firstplayoff start since April 26, 2019, for the Clippers against theWarriors in Game 6 of the first round. “Two hours before game timeLoon came down pretty ill,” Kerr said. ... Golden State improved to20-6 in Game 2s dating to the 2014-15 title run.