After getting smacked with a 27-point loss in Game 2 by the Golden State Warriors, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers returned the favor to the defending champs Saturday night. The Lakers whopped Stephen Curry and company at home in Game 3 for a 127-97 beatdown that had Los Angeles completing a feat in the playoffs not seen by the franchise since the days of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Hollywood.

Via Sportsnet Stats:

“Lakers have multiple 30-point wins in a single postseason for the 3rd time in franchise history, joining 1984 & 1987.”

The trio of Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and D'Angelo Russell took turns in punishing the Warriors. Russell actually got the party started for the Purple & Gold, as he scored all of the team's first 11 points and 13 of its first 17. James had a slow start offensively, in part because he did not take a shot from the field during the entire first quarter, but he got it going beginning in the second quarter where the Lakers pulled away from the Warriors by outscoring the defending champions in the period, 36-18.

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All told, the Lakers shot 52.5 percent from the field and went 15-for-31 from deep in Game 3.

The Lakers' Game 3 win was a big statement for the team, which will look to gain a 3-1 series advantage in Game 4 this coming Monday at home before heading to San Francisco for Game 5.

The first win of the Lakers this season by at least 30 points was in Game 6 of their first-round matchup against Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies in which they came away with a 125-85 victory.