Although Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are on the outside of the Orlando Bubble, former members of the Golden State Warriors are advancing through the NBA’s playoff bracket.
After Andre Iguodala advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals with the Miami Heat, another ex-Warrior punched their ticket to the next round of the postseason.
On Saturday, former Golden State center JaVale McGee suited up with the Los Angeles Lakers in game five of their Western Conference series against the Houston Rockets.
Coming off the bench in game five, McGee collected three rebounds with a block in three minutes of action. Late in the fourth quarter, McGee attempted his best Splash Brother imitation, launching a 3-pointer. However, the 7-foot center’s beyond the arc attempt clanked off the rim.
Via @TheNBAHustle on Twitter:
Javale McGee for 3, why not pic.twitter.com/NeUdgvxj4F
— THE NBA Hustle 🏀 (@TheNBAHustle) September 13, 2020
Lebron James led the Lakers with 29 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the field with 11 boards, seven assists and two steals. Anthony Davis added a double-double of his own with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Behind the pair of double-doubles from their All-Stars, the Lakers were able to close out the Rockets 119-96 to advance to the Western Conference Finals.
During game two, McGee suffered an ankle injury after playing eight minutes. McGee was able to return in game three. However, Frank Vogel opted to match Houston’s small-ball lineup, keeping McGee on the bench. Games four and five against Houston were the first two games the Nevada product didn’t start for Los Angeles.
With the Lakers slated to face either the Denver Nuggets or Los Angeles Clippers next, McGee will likely have a more significant role in the Western Conference Finals. The former Golden State big man will match up with either Ivica Zubac and Montrezl Harrell or All-Star center Nikola Jokic.
The Clippers currently hold a 3-2 advantage over the Nuggets with game six scheduled to tipoff on Sunday at 10 A.M. PT.
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