LeBron James, Lakers eliminate NBA champion Warriors with 122-101 victory in Game 6

Lakers now face Nikola Jokic and the top-seeded Nuggets in the Western Conference finals starting Tuesday night in Denver.

DRIVE: The Lakers' Anthony Davis defends the drive from Steph Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors in Friday's play offs at Crypto.com Arena

Six months and a day after the Los Angeles Lakers fell to 2-10 to start the regular season, they emphatically eliminated the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors to reach the Western Conference finals.

Although the Lakers’ transformation has become increasingly incredible over the past several weeks, the primary forces behind it are LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The superstars won a ring together only three years ago, and they shared a joyous hug Friday night after they led their team to its biggest home victory in over a decade.