Los Angeles Lakers (35-24) beat Golden State Warriors (31-29) 129-101 on the road on Saturday, February 28. The final margin was 28 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Lakers struck first, taking the opening quarter 33-20 and a 13-point lead after one. The Lakers kept the pressure on with a 32-27 second quarter, carrying a 18-point lead into halftime.
The Lakers won the third 34-25 to create some separation, taking a 27-point lead into the fourth. The Lakers took the fourth 30-29; the Lakers finished the job for a 129-101 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Lakers got more from their shots, finishing at 63.9% effective field-goal shooting compared with 51.6% for the Warriors. The Lakers made 15.6 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 7.7 for the Warriors. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
At roughly 97 possessions per team, the Lakers produced 133.2 points per 100 possessions to 104.3 for the Warriors.
The Warriors' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 55-39.
Who stood out
Luka Doncic was the game's biggest individual force for LAL: 26 pts, 6 reb, 8 ast on 9-17 shooting. His Game Score of 24 led everyone. His team was +26 with him on the floor.
What it means
By our Win Meter this was an upset: The Lakers entered with about a 31% chance.
Across the last 6 meetings in our records, Los Angeles Lakers lead 4-2.
The Lakers are now 35-24, and the Warriors are 31-29. The Lakers last five before this game: W-W-L-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.