OAKLAND – Practically handed a win before tipoff Saturday night, the Warriors then went out and earned it with a 102-83 victory over an overmatched squad of Lakers.
Five Warriors scored in double figures, led by 19 points from David Lee, 18 from Stephen Curry and 17 from Klay Thompson, as the Warriors rode a third-quarter rally to roll Los Angeles. Center Andrew Bogut added 12 points and grabbed 20 rebounds.
The Lakers were playing with a very makeshift roster, as they were without Kobe Bryant (fractured knee), Steve Nash (severe back pain), Steve Blake (torn ulnar ligament) and Jordan Farmar (torn left hamstring).
In addition, Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni announced moments before tipoff that center/forward Pau Gasol was sidelined with an upper respiratory infection.
The Warriors spent the first two quarters and part of the third playing down to the Lakers substitutes before a third quarter opened up the margin and set a course for a blowout.
Nick Young led Lakers scorers with 20 points.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES
On a night when the Warriors did not shoot well, they got 14 good minutes from Marreese Speights off the bench. He scored 10 points, grabbed three rebounds and blocked a shot.
And then there was Bogut's work on the boards, his ninth career game of 20 or more rebounds.
TURNING POINT
With 8:22 left in the third quarter and the Warriors up 51-46, coach Mark Jackson called a timeout, after which his team responded with a 21-4 run, taking a 72-50 lead with 2:06 left in the quarter. Seven players scored during the run, led by 6 points from Marreese Speights.
The Lakers never trimmed the margin below 15 points after that.
INJURY UPDATE
Warriors centers Jermaine O'Neal (right wrist surgery), Festus Ezeli (right knee surgery) and Ognjen Kuzmic (right pinkie surgery) are out indefinitely.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Warriors on Sunday take off for Denver, where they meet the Nuggets on Monday night. Though the Warriors defeated the Nuggets in six games in a first-round playoff series last spring, the Dubs lost the regular-season series three games to one. It will be Iguodala's first return trip to the Pepsi Center since leaving the Nuggets (via trade) as a free agent to sign with the Warriors in July.
