NBA: Lakers crushed, Knicks roll, GS goes up 2-1

The NBA Playoffs continued with more Game 3 matches on Friday with two of the series going to 3-0 and the third now at 2-1. The San Antonio Spurs beat up on the injury-laden Los Angeles Lakers, 89:120 in LA, the New York Knicks took their series with Boston to 3-0 with a 76:90 Game 3 win in Boston, and the Golden State Warriors won their second contest against the Denver Nuggets at home in Oakland to join the Chicago Bulls as the only two lower seeded teams to lead their series.

Golden State Warriors – Denver Nuggets, 110:108 The Warriors’ playmaker, Stephen Curry, was listed as a game-time decision on whether or not he could play on the ankle sprain he suffered in Game 2. Prior to the game he was seen running the court to test it, and no doubt had a roll or two of tape applied as well as a pain-killer or two ingested. Curry did play and for Golden State, that was a very good thing as the talented point ended up with a team-high 29 points, 6 rebounds and 11 assists, in helping the Warriors improve to 2-1 in their series with Denver with a 110:108 victory at home. The game came down to the final minute and a shortage of timeouts by the Nuggets. Ty Lawson was game-high with 35 points for Denver, while adding 10 assists on the night.

The clubs battled to a 32-all score after the first, but Denver grabbed an eight-point lead in the second on a 13:2 run to close out the half up 54:66. The third was owned by the Warriors who used a 22:6 run to tie the score at 76, and then an 8:1 run in the last two minutes to take am 87:84 lead into the final 12.

Early in the last quarter Golden State got up six, but Denver rallied and the clubs exchanged baskets for the better part of the frame. With 16.5 remaining Chandler hit a triple for Denver to pull them within a point, 109:108. The Warriors were whistled for a five-second violation trying to get the ball in-bounds, but Denver gave it back when Lawson lost the handle trying to drive to the basket for the lead. The Nuggets had used all their timeouts, so had to take the ball coast-to-coast to score with 3.7 on the clock. Tthe best they could get off was a half-courter by Andre Igoudala that hit the front of the rim.

Curry’s 29 points, 11 assists and 6 rebounds led the Warriors. Jack added 23 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists, and Barnes and Richard Jefferson both scored 19, while Barnes also contributed 7 rebounds.

Lawson’s 35 points was game-high and he added 10 assists on the night. Corey Brewer scored 16, Kenneth Faried dropped in 15, while grabbing 7 rebounds, Iguodala scored 14, with 5 rebounds and 5 assists, Chandler added 11 points and 9 rebounds.

San Antonio Spurs – Los Angeles Lakers, 89:120
In the seats behind the Lakers’ bench sat a a row of Laker’s players in suits that rivaled the numbers in uniform as four Lakers were out with injuries. Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Jodie Meeks and Steve Blake all had to sit Game 3 out, turning the backcourt over to recently called up Andrew Goudelock, named D-League MVP for the 2012-13 season. Goudelock did well for himself in the tough role, contributing 20 points on 8 for 17 shooting inside the arc and 2 of 6 outside.

Not that it probably mattered as the Spurs have been manhandling the Lakers from the start of the series, but this game was just ugly for the hosts. The 31-point loss the Spurs handled LA was the worse loss in the playoffs in franchise history, which goes back a few years.

San Antonio’s Tim Duncan still had to deal with the Lakers’ ‘bigs’ in the paint and had no trouble taking care of business hitting 12 of 16 from the floor and scoring a game-high 26 points, while grabbing 9 rebounds.

The Spurs were up 12 after the first 12, 30:18. The Lakers cut the margin with a 10:2 run, but despite outscoring their guests in the second 25:24, they were never in the game. San Antonio took a 55:44 lead into the break.

In the second half the Spurs outscored the Lakers 65:45 to pick up their third win in the best-of-five series. They’ll try to close it out on Sunday in Los Angeles.

Duncan was game-high for the Spurs with 26 points and 9 rebounds. Tony Parker added 20 points and 7 assists, DeJuan Blair contributed 13 points and 7 rebounds, Kawhi Leonard dropped in 12 points, and Danny Green added 11.

Dwight Howard led the Lakers with 25 points and 11 rebounds, Darius Morris dropped 24 points and 6 assists, Goudelock contributed 20, and Pau Gasol had a triple/double with 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.

Boston Celtics – New York Knicks, 76:90
The last time the Knicks won a playoff game in Boston was back in 1990 when they won Game 5 in the Boston Gardens 114:121 to win the series 3-2. The 2013 edition of the Knicks were hoping to pull that stat into the new millennium and did so in impressive fashion with a 76:90 win that gives the Knicks a 3-0 lead in their series.

The guests dominated in the first half, building a 31:47 lead through the first 24 minutes of play. Much of the Knicks lead came from a late 2:11 run that included eight from playmaker Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks cruised in the second half preserving their margin and picking up the ‘W’ in anticipation of a win on Sunday in Boston to close the series.

Anthony was game-high with 26, giving him a three-game playoff average of 32. Raymond Felton and J.R. Smith each added 15, with Fleton adding 10 assists. Smith was ejected in the fourth for a flagrant foul two after throwing an elbow at the Celtics’ Jason Terry.

Jeff Green led the way for Boston with 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. Paul Pierce was off his game Friday, but still dropped in 17. Jason Terry added 14, and Kevin Garnett had a double/double with 12 points and 17 rebounds.