Iguodala sparks Warriors past LeBron-less Lakers


Reuters | Updated: 03-02-2019 09:50 IST | Created: 03-02-2019 09:50 IST
Iguodala sparks Warriors past LeBron-less Lakers

Andre Iguodala ignited a fourth-quarter runaway with consecutive 3-pointers as the Golden State Warriors broke open a tight game to beat the LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers 115-101 Saturday night in Oakland, Calif. James was a late scratch after being unable to shake general body soreness that resulted from a 40-minute return to the Lakers' lineup Thursday after having missed 17 straight games with a groin injury.

The soreness is not considered an aggravation of the groin injury, Lakers coach Luke Walton announced before the game, and James likely will return when the Lakers visit Indiana on Tuesday. Without their star, the Lakers led by as many as 10 points in the third quarter and were still up 89-88 when Ivica Zubac tipped in a miss with 11 minutes remaining.

Shaun Livingston then gave the Warriors the lead for good with a 10-footer 12 seconds later, after which Iguodala bombed in his pair of threes to open a 96-89 margin. Golden State coasted home from there, with Stephen Curry, without a field goal for the first 41 1/2 minutes of the game, contributing four late hoops, including a pair of 3-pointers.

Iguodala finished with 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting and Curry 14 on 5-for-15 for the Warriors, who avenged a Christmas Day home blowout at the hands of the Lakers. Klay Thompson led Golden State with 28 points while Kevin Durant (21 points, 11 assists) and DeMarcus Cousins (18 points, 10 rebounds) recorded double-doubles.

The win was the 12th in the last 13 games for the Warriors, who had an 11-game winning streak snapped at home by the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday. Brandon Ingram had a team-high 20 points for the Lakers, who fell to 6-12 without James in the lineup.

Rajon Rondo recorded a 12-point, 11-assist double-double while Kyle Kuzma had 13 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 12 and Zubac and Lance Stephenson 10 apiece. The Warriors took advantage of James' absence from the starting lineup to score the game's first seven points en route to a 22-8 lead six minutes into the contest.

But the Lakers' depth kept them in the game, with the reserves combining for 25 first-half points. Thompson had 23 of his 28 points in the half, which ended with Golden State on top 63-58.

--Field Level Media

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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