It certainly wasn’t pretty, but the Los Angeles Lakers are right back where they wanted to be after a 109-95 Game 3 victory over the Phoenix Suns. With a 2-1 series lead and another game at Staples Center looming between these two teams on Sunday, the defending champions have given themselves a chance to take a commanding 3-1 lead. In fact, the Lakers are hoping that history can repeat itself the rest of the way. In the first two rounds last season, the Lakers lost Game 1 before sweeping their opponents the rest of the way.
If Anthony Davis keeps this up, the Lakers will have little trouble doing so again this time around. He led the Lakers with 34 points and 11 rebounds in this one while LeBron James, who got off to a slow start, picked things up with 16 second-half points to go along with nine total assists. Those numbers hardly stand up to James’ typical postseason excellence, but in a physical, defensive-oriented game like this, it was all the Lakers needed to secure the victory. Here are the biggest takeaways from their Game 3 victory.
