Lakers take charge early, never look back in blowing out Warriors

SAN FRANCISCO –With the Warriors looking for all the world like a play-in team and the Los Angeles Lakers appearing to have an inside track on a regular playoff berth despite a three-game losing streak coming in, the status quo was preserved Saturday night at Chase Center.

The Lakers took charge early and were never seriously threatened, winning 129-101 and improving their record to 35-24 in the Western Division. The Warriors, who struggled with their shooting in falling too far behind in the first half, fell to 31-29 and can only hope for some good news regarding guard Stephen Curry (knee) and center Kristaps Porzingis (illness) in the coming days or maybe even a play-in game will be too much to ask.

If the Warriors do somehow rally and close on the Lakers, the loss Saturday night meant they’re now 1-2 against their Southern California rivals.

The moral of the story? It helps to have a healthy Big Three. In forwards Luka Doncic and LeBron James and Austin Reeves at shooting guard, the Lakers have a nowhere-to-turn element that was way too much for the Warriors to deal with.

Dončić, the NBA’s leading scorer at 32.7 points per game coming in, led the Lakers with 26 points on 9-for-17 shooting an 4-for-9 on 3-point attempts. James had 22, 19 of them in the first half, and Reeves had 18. They would have had more had not Lakers coach J.J. Redick emptied the bench in the fourth quarter. Luke Kennard added 16 for the Lakers and Jake LaRavia 15.

Los Angeles shot 53.5 percent from the floor (48-for-90) and were 19-for-41 on 3-point attempts. The Warriors were 12-for-44 from the 3-point line.

For the Warriors, forward Gui Santos had 14 points, with Gary Payton II and Moses Moody scoring 12 each. Draymond Green, who missed the last two games with lower back soreness, was back in the starting lineup and had seven points with six rebounds and six assists.

Dončić  hit a trio of 3-pointers in the first five minutes of the second half, two of the step-back variety and a another a good three feet beyond the top of the key, with the Lakers leading by as much as 26 points in the third quarter. He hit a fourth 3-pointer and had 22 points with 7:07 left in the quarter.

When Brandin Podziemski fired up an airball at the third-quarter buzzer, the Warriors were down by 27 points at 99-72.

The Lakers’ big three were way too much for the Warriors to handle, trailing 65-47 at intermission and leading by 20 or more for much of the second quarter.

James had 20 first–half points to lead Los Angeles, followed by 13 from Reeves and 10 from Dončić.

The Warriors? Top defender Gary Payton II had 10 points on 5-for-8 shooting and was the only player in double figures. The Warriors were just 18 of 45 from the the floor overall and 5-for-24 from 3-point land while Los Angeles was 9 of 17.

James had a 3-pointer and a 3-point play early in the second quarter to put the Lakers up 41-20 when Kerr called time with 10:04 left in the half.

The Lakers were off and shooting while fans were still settling into their seats, leading by as much as 17 points with the Warriors within 33-20 at the end of the first quarter.

Los Angeles was 12 of 22 overall and 5-for-9 on 3-point attempts, with Reeves leading the Lakers with 11 points and James getting six. Meanwhile, the Warriors were 9-for-26, with starting guard De’Andre Melton missing his first five shots. The Warriors were 2-for-13 on 3-point attempts in the quarter, with no one scoring more than four points.

Draymond Green, out the past two games with lower back soreness, started off the Warriors scoring with a dunk but that was his lone basket of the quarter.