Los Angeles Lakers vs Golden State Warriors Prediction: Who would take the lead in the third game of the series?

Golden State and the Lakers exchanged wins in the opening games of the Western Conference semifinals in San Francisco. Who would take the lead in the third game of the series?

After winning the first away game, the Lakers expectedly failed to be as focused in the second game. And while the team still managed to stay up in the first half, thanks mainly to LeBron James' 21 points, Darwin Ham's team was already trailing by nearly 30 points at the end of the third quarter. The fourth quarter was a formality, as the Lakers' reserve team took to the floor and managed a +3 win over Golden State's reserve team. The Lakes suffered a blowout loss (100:127), although they could be pretty happy with how the series started, considering that L.A. clinched one of the two games in San Francisco.

In the second game of the series, Golden State's primary center Kevon Looney spent limited minutes on the floor due to illness. His replacement in the starting lineup, experienced guard Jamichael Green, wasn't nearly as good at the basket but was noticeably better on the court, scoring 15 points on 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Clay Thompson had his best play of the playoffs with 8 of 11 from long range and 30 points. And Draymond Green was just one assist short of a triple-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. The team played a very good game, although it's clear that their series to advance to the Western Conference finals is just beginning.

Golden State shot 50 percent from three-point range in game two, and even the most successful basketball team of the past decade cannot afford to hold on to such high production. We expect low efficiency in the upcoming game, especially given that the Lakers have played only low-scoring games in this playoff series at home. We wouldn't bet on the outcome. The opponents have shown in their opening games that they deserve each other, and the series could go as far as Game 7.