The Los Angeles Lakers emerged victorious in an explosive Game 3 against the Golden State Warriors, sending them plunging 2-1 in the series. LeBron James’ leadership has been instrumental in grounding the team and disregarding outside noise, while Anthony Davis’ performance has fluctuated, leading fans to brand him as “alternate days.” Davis, however, remains unfazed by the criticisms and maintains that he approaches each game with the same mindset.
As the playoffs progress, the Lakers’ defensive abilities have not gone unnoticed, as evidenced by their limit on the Warriors’ 3-point shooting, which they used to devastating effect in their previous matchups. Coach Darvin Ham’s decision to bring in Lonnie Walker IV led to a critical shakeup, with Walker scoring 12 points. The team knows that they have to remain calm even as playoff stakes increase and to demonstrate discipline and effort in every game.
The external pressure is overpowering, with every win or loss generating massive reactions from fans and trends online. However, James’ leadership has served to caution his team against getting absorbed in online chatter or media coverage and to maintain attention on the next challenge. The Lakers aim to continue performing and putting forth their best effort, and control what they can in every game.
