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The NBA was filled with excitement last night as two playoff games took place, resulting in valuable victories for the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks.
Lakers Outlast Warriors in Thrilling West Semi-Finals Game
The Lakers took the court against the Golden State Warriors in the first game of the West semi-finals, determined to secure a win away from home.
Despite the Warriors being the favored team, the Lakers emerged victorious with a final score of 117-112, taking a 1-0 lead in the series. One player who truly shone in this game was Lakers center, Anthony Davis. He recorded an impressive 30 points and an astonishing 23 rebounds, adding to his performance with five assists and four blocks.
Davis became the first Lakers player since Shaquille O'Neal to score 30+ points and 20+ rebounds in a playoff game. Lakers star player LeBron James praised his team's resilience, saying, "We’ve been playing playoff basketball for about 2 1/2 months now just to punch our clock to be able to play right now in the postseason.
We were very resilient tonight...We know how great they are on their home floor, so to withstand that, it’s another good step for our ballclub." The Warriors were also noteworthy in their performance, with Steph Curry scoring 27 points and Klay Thompson scoring 25 points.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr commended Davis' performance, saying, "I thought AD had a great game. Obviously he dominated and he got blocked four shots and altered some others. That’s what this team has been doing now for the last few months.
They have been one of the best defensive teams in the league for a reason and he’s a huge part of that."
Knicks Celebrate Home Victory Against Miami Heat
The New York Knicks took on the Miami Heat in the second game of the night, playing in front of their home fans.
The Knicks responded to Miami and celebrated a 111-105 victory, leveling the series at 1-1. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra acknowledged his team's defeat, saying, "Obviously we feel a certain way right now that we weren’t able to find a way to get this win, but we’ll get over it and we’ll get ready for Saturday." The Knicks were led by Brunson who scored 30 points, while Randle and Barrett scored 25 and 24 points, respectively.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau praised his players, saying, "I thought Julius gutted it out, played tough. I thought Jalen was fantastic. RJ big, big start to the game for us, so we had a number of guys step up to get it done." The series now moves to Florida where Miami will host the next two games.
