Knicks force sixth game
Warriors hit back against Lakers in heroic duel
05/11/2023, 07:10 am
The series between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers is not over yet. The defending champion does his job at home and wins against the record champions. Next stop: LA! The New York Knicks also remain in the running for the time being.
The Golden State Warriors saved the NBA playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers and forced a sixth game. The defending champion won 121-106 in San Francisco on Wednesday night and reduced the best-of-seven series to 2-3 after wins. Game six in the Western Conference semifinals will take place in Los Angeles on Saturday night. Even more than the defeat, the Lakers could hurt that top performer Anthony Davis could no longer play in the final quarter, apparently due to problems in the head after an elbow hit.
Draymond Green was a huge factor with the Warriors. He created a buffer early on by hitting threes and ended up with 20 points. Best pitcher for the hosts was Stephen Curry with 27 points, Andrew Wiggins also had a good evening with 25 points. “Everyone in the squad has played their part. Draymond takes us to another area and we love an aggressive Andrew,” said Curry. “We just wanted to win and give ourselves a chance.”
With the Lakers, LeBron James had the most points with 25. Davis came to 23 before he was eliminated. The German national team captain Dennis Schröder scored 14 points, but after a good start he dropped like his teammates and had little shot in the second half.
Hartenstein stays in the race with Knicks
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks avoided elimination in the playoff series against the Miami Heat, winning game five 112-103. The team around the German Isaiah Hartenstein pulled away in the second half by up to 19 points, but still had to tremble for success in Madison Square Garden in the final minutes. The win cut the Knicks 3-2 in the best-of-seven series in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Game six between the two teams takes place on Saturday night.
Jalen Brunson had 38 points for the Knicks, and Hartenstein got his four points, all at key times in the final quarter. He also contributed to the win with six rebounds. In the Heat, Jimmy Butler was the top pitcher with 19 points.