BBNBA: Lakers and Heat win in blowout victories

There have been many exciting playoff games this NBA season, but Saturday did not feature them. If you wondered if you were missing something thrilling by watching the Derby instead of basketball, don’t worry, you didn’t. The Heat blew out the Knicks and the Lakers dominated the Warriors, as both teams took a 2-1 series lead.

Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 25 points, 13 rebounds, four blocks, and three steals, as he was a beast on both ends of the floor. Ever since Davis made a conscious effort to shoot fewer jumpers and focus on the dominating inside, he has taken his game up to the next level.

Jarred Vanderbilt is another former Kentucky player in LA who has stepped up big in the playoffs. Embracing the role of defensive stopper, Vando’s stat line isn’t always that impressive, but he is a pest to opposing players and he has locked in on Steph Curry this series.

With the game comfortably in hand, Wenyen Gabriel came in for five minutes to close out the big Game 3 win. The Warriors will look to even the series on Monday.

The Heat cruise by the Knicks

It was another tough shooting day for Immanuel Quickley and Julius Randle of the Knicks. Quickley had 12 points on 4-12 shooting, including 2-8 from behind the arc, while Randle finished with just 10 points on 4-15 from the field. It is hard to say if Randle is still feeling any lingering effects from the sprained ankle that caused him to miss time earlier, but New York fans are ready for him to return to All-Star form in a hurry.

For the Heat, Bam Adebayo had a double-double for the Heat with 17 points and 12 rebounds. If Randle has been up and down in performance, Bam has been the complete opposite; just as steady and reliable as they come.

The Heat will try to win Game 4 and gain a healthy 3-1 series on Monday.

Bam was a force in the paint on both sides 💥 pic.twitter.com/34EgNMfYWO

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) May 6, 2023

4/6/2023 Statistics

Player	Score	PTS	FG (3PT)	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	MIN	+/-
Anthony Davis (LAL)	127-97 W vs. GSW	25	7-10 (0-0)	13	3	3	4	3	33	+28
Bam Adebayo (MIA)	106-86 W vs. NYK	17	7-14 (0-0)	12	0	0	1	1	36	+12
Jarred Vanderbilt (LAL)	127-97 W vs. GSW	2	0-5 (0-3)	5	0	0	0	0	15	+4
Wenyen Gabriel (LAL)	127-97 W vs. GSW	0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	5	+2
Tyler Herro (MIA)	106-86 W vs. NYK	DNP-Hand

Today in the NBA

Eastern Conference Semifinals
3:30 (ESPN): Celtics @ 76ers (Maxey) | BOS leads 2-1

Western Conference Semifinals
8:00 (TNT): Nuggets (Murray) @ Suns (Booker) | DEN leads 2-1