Rob Issa, FISM News
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The defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors got defensive to keep their season alive.
Stephen Curry scored 27 points, Andrew Wiggins had 25 and Draymond Green added 20 to lead the Warriors to a 121-106 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5 of their Western Conference semifinals series Thursday night.
The Warriors turned up the defensive pressure on LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Lakers to avoid elimination and cut the series deficit to 3-2.
“We’re champions, so there’s pressure every time you step on the floor,” Green said. “You go out there, you don’t win people are ready to crush you. People forget about the things that you’ve done in the past.”
The Warriors rebounded from a 2-0 deficit in the opening round against Sacramento to advance and now need to win two more in a row to advance past the Lakers. Game 6 is Thursday night in Los Angeles.
James scored 25 points and Davis had 23 before leaving the game in the fourth quarter after he was hit on the head.
“Obviously, everyone saw he took a shot to the head, but we just checked in on him, he seems to be doing really good already,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “That’s just where he’s at. That’s the status of it right now.”
The Warriors took a 70-59 halftime lead after Curry nailed a 3-pointer to cap a 16-5 run that closed out the second half. The Lakers got within single digits once in the second half on Austin Reaves’ 3-pointer that made it 104-95 but Curry answered with a jumper and a 3-pointer.
“I have a lot of confidence we can come back in this series,” Curry said. “And until otherwise, we stay in that kind of mindset.”
The Lakers will need Davis on the court. He left the court in a wheelchair after getting elbowed by Kevon Looney but walked out of the arena on his own.
BRUNSON, BARRETT, RANDLE TURN UP THE HEAT ON MIAMI
In New York, Jalen Brunson scored 38 points and the Knicks stayed alive with a 112-103 victory over the Miami Heat.
RJ Barrett had 26 points, Julius Randle added 24, and New York closed their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals series to 3-2.
“What can you say about the guy?” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said of Brunson. “He’s just incredible, all-around player. Great leader, great toughness. Mental toughness, physical toughness, ability to think on his feet, ability to lead, ability to connect with people, bring the best out of people. That’s what makes him special. And it’s play after play.”
The Heat can become just the second No. 8 seed to advance to the conference finals with a victory at home in Game 6 on Friday night. The Knicks need to win two more to reach the conference finals for the first time since 2000.
“There’s nothing really to celebrate,” Brunson said after playing all 48 minutes. “This was great, but we gotta go get one down there.”
Jimmy Butler led Miami with 19 points, Bam Adebayo scored 18 and Duncan Robinson had 17 off the bench. Butler was held under 25 points for the first time this postseason.
“It doesn’t matter if I score 40 or 50 or 19 or nine, we always have enough to win,” Butler said. “And if I score 10 points in that game and we win, that wouldn’t be an issue, wouldn’t be a question and I will continue to play the right way.”
The Knicks fell behind by double digits in the first quarter but built a 73-54 lead midway through the third quarter. The Heat rallied in the fourth and got within two points with 2 1/2 minutes remaining after Butler scored six straight points.
Then, Isaiah Hartenstein scored a putback slam, Butler committed an offensive foul and Barrett sank two free throws.
The 1999 Knicks are the only No. 8 seed to reach the conference finals. They advanced to the NBA Finals that year before losing to the San Antonio Spurs.