3 Takeaways From Blazers-Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are advancing to the Western Conference semifinals.
The Lakers capped off their first round series with a 131-122 Game 5 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, and will face either Oklahoma City or Houston in the second round.
Here are 3 key takeaways from this Western Conference first round matchup.
1. The King and AD close the door on Portland
What the Lakers saw from LeBron James and Anthony Davis on Saturday night is what they dreamed of when they traded for Davis this past offseason.
Davis recorded 43 points and 9 rebounds on a ridiculously efficient 14-for-18 shooting, and now, he's in the same breath with Michael Jordan when it comes to playoff scoring.
In the meantime, James put up 36 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, notching his third triple-double of the series.
The King's latest triple-double just added to his already legendary resume.
2. Carmelo and C.J. go down swinging
The Blazers came into Game 5 undermanned, missing their superstar in Damian Lillard – but that didn't stop Carmelo Anthony and C.J. McCollum from emptying the tank.
McCollum put up 36 points, and Anthony chipped in with 27, keeping the Blazers in the game deep into the fourth quarter despite the dominance of James and Davis.
3. The Lakers offense is peaking
Los Angeles dragged its feet through seeding play before putting on an abysmal shooting peformance in Game 1 against the Blazers, scoring just 93 points on 35.1% shooting from the field and 15.6% shooting from three-point range.
But now, it appears the Lakers have found their groove.
The Lakers scored at least 111 points in each of the last four games, and in the last three games, they shot at least 50% from the field.
After connecting on just 5 threes in Game 1, Los Angeles hit a combined 55 threes in Games 2-5, an average of 13.8 threes per game.
