LeBron James leads Lakers to victory over Warriors in Western Conference semi-final

LeBron James led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 127-97 victory over the Golden State Warriors, putting the Lakers ahead 2-1 in the Western Conference semi-final. Despite not scoring in the first quarter, James finished the game with 21 points, while Anthony Davis scored 25 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler returned to the Miami Heat after missing game two with an ankle injury. He helped the Heat secure a 105-86 victory over the New York Knicks, giving them a 2-1 lead in their Eastern Conference semi-final. Butler scored 28 points and made nine of 21 shots from the floor, as well as 10 of 11 from the free-throw line, BNN Network reports.

Both teams will play again on Tuesday, with the Heat and the Knicks facing off at 00:30 BST, and the Lakers and the Warriors playing at 03:00 BST. The Lakers, who are defending champions, will be hoping to secure a win and extend their lead in the series.

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After the Lakers’ victory in game three, Davis spoke about the importance of defending and guarding, saying, “We wanted to get back to our roots…we know that we can do it and we did it well tonight, holding them to 97 points.” He acknowledged that the Warriors are a tough team to guard, but said that the Lakers are ready for the challenge.

Davis also emphasized the need for the Lakers to maintain their mindset going into the next game, saying, “We know they’re going to come out with a lot of firepower trying not to go down 3-1. We’ve got to have the mindset we had tonight.” With the series finely poised, the Lakers will need to remain focused and continue to play their best basketball in order to advance to the next round.