Mavericks 127, Clippers 121 (Mavericks lead 2-0)
Nets 130, Celtics 108 (Nets lead 2-0)
Lakers 109, Suns 102 (Series tied 1-1)
What went down
The defending champions LA Lakers regained their form and earned a resounding road victory.
The Lakers big men stepped up to the plate as the trio of Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond, and Marc Gasol all had meaningful impact. The size advantage was cut down by the Suns in the series opener, but the Lakers opted to double down. Gasol, who was inactive in Game 1, posted six points, two rebounds, and two assists in 20 minutes of action. Meanwhile, Drummond had a significant double-double of 15 and 12 after a relatively quiet Game 1. As for Davis, the star in him finally showed up alongside LeBron James. LA’s dynamic duo was critical in the clutch.
The main concern for the Suns moving forward will be the health of their point guard and leader Chris Paul. After suffering a shoulder injury in Game 1, Paul registered just 22 minutes overall in Game 2. He played sparingly particularly in the second half as Cameron Payne took over the ball handling duties. Payne played great but the Suns needed their veteran decision-maker in crunch time.
In other playoff action, the Nets are now up 2-0 as the Celtics are simply trying to keep up against the higher-seeded team. Things got from bad to worse as Jayson Tatum didn’t finish the game after being poked in the eye.
The Mavericks also went up 2-0 with Luka Doncic once again taking center stage. The Clippers are seemingly at a loss on how to contain the All-Star guard.
Big-time ballers
The Lakers’ one-two punch paved the way for the victory in Phoenix.
Anthony Davis scored 24 of his 34 points in the second half while filling the stat sheet with 10 rebounds, seven assists, three blocks and a steal. He shot 7-for-15 from the field and went 18-for-21 from the line.
LeBron James, meanwhile, didn’t put up eye-popping numbers (23 points, four boards, and nine dimes), but he made crucial plays down the stretch, including a 3-pointer that gave his team a nine-point lead with under a minute remaining.
What he said
AD put a ton of pressure on himself after the Lakers lost Game 1. Well, he responded in a huge way in Game 2.
"I wanted to make sure that I made a statement this game."
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 26, 2021
AD talks with @ChrisBHaynes after his 34-point performance in Lakers' Game 2 win. pic.twitter.com/rlYI0EiKcB
Did you see that?
Paul George put Kristaps Porzingis on skates and the Clippers bench was loving it.
PG snatchin' ankles 😯 pic.twitter.com/fcoXJ1s7q7
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 26, 2021
However, Game 2 was once again about Luka Magic, who hit this ridiculous one-legged triple. The Mavericks got the last laugh in the end with the victory.
Sheesh, Luka 🤯 pic.twitter.com/mEmVseEfpO
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 26, 2021
