It was a classic in the Crypto.com arena tonight as the Los Angeles Lakers tried to defend their home court against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. With just a handful of games left this season, both teams were locked in for this matchup as they fought to keep their place in the Western Conference standings.
The Warriors set the tone early with a hot shooting first quarter, going up 26-22 after the first 12 minutes. By halftime, the Warriors had full control of the game with a 13-point lead that carried them for the rest of the night. Despite the Lakers’ best efforts to make a run down the stretch, they couldn’t close the gap and ended up losing the game by seven points (123-116).
Stephen Curry was in a nice rhythm tonight with 37 points, three rebounds, and six assists on 47.6% shooting. In his 27th start this season, Brandin Podziemski dropped 28 points, eight rebounds, and six assists on 58.8% shooting. Off the bench, Jonathan Kuminga dropped 18 points, nine rebounds, and four assists on 58.3% shooting.
For the Lakers, LeBron James was the leading scorer with 33 points, five rebounds, and nine assists on 66.7% shooting, while Luka Doncic finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists on 35.3% shooting. Rui Hachimura gave a nice boost for them in the loss with 24 points, six rebounds, and three assists on 60% shooting.
Mid-season trades have revived these teams and put them both back in the championship picture out West. Tonight, we saw how they stack up against each other, but it looks like the Golden State Warriors are in much better shape right now than the Lakers, who are flawed in more ways than one.
Stephen Curry Wins Star-Studded Matchup
LeBron James has made it clear that the Lakers are Luka’s team now, and it’s no secret that there’s a connection between his performance and how well they play as a team. Since he arrived in the trade from Dallas, Doncic has embraced his new surroundings, but his performance can only be described as inconsistent this season.
In 35 minutes of action, Doncic dropped 19 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists on 35.3% shooting from the field. LeBron James did his best to carry the load for Doncic, but Stephen Curry outperformed them both and willed his team to their fourth straight win.
Steph finished with 37 points, three rebounds, and six assists in the game, going back-and-forth with LeBron James in the fourth quarter to prevent the comeback and seal the win for his team. Steph was in his bag tonight, and his shot-making on the perimeter gave the Warriors a major edge when they needed it the most.
Three-Point Shooting Woes Continue
The Lakers have not been shy about letting it fly from deep this year, but the trend backfired on them tonight in an ugly fashion. As a team, the Lakers went 18-47 from deep (38.3%), compared to the Warriors, who shot 45.2% from outside.
Luka Doncic alone went 0-6 beyond the arc, and Dorian Finney-Smith couldn’t buy a bucket down the stretch with 0-5 shooting from three. Their struggles brought the whole team down and made it almost impossible for the Lakers to keep up.
Offensively, the Lakers just looked sluggish and out of rhythm all night long, and it’s drawing some serious questions about their consistency in the playoffs. If they can’t hit shots, then the Lakers won’t be getting far this season, but there is still hope that their shooting can bounce back to a respectable point.
Lakers Bench Got Outplayed
Depth has been s strong suit for the Warriors this season, and Jimmy Butler only enhanced their rotation. Tonight, Jonathan Kuminga, Gui Santos, Quinten Post, and Kevon Looney combined for 26 bench points, proving a solid boost for their team.
The Lakers only got seven points from their bench tonight and combined to go 3-15 from the field. With Luka Doncic already struggling, the Lakers needed extra help from the supporting cast, but Rui Hachimura was the only role player who stepped up with 24 points and six rebounds.
Depth is more important than ever in the NBA, and for the Lakers to make it out of the West, they’ll need several of their supporting players to step up with big performances. Against teams like the Warriors, Thunder, and Rockets, depth will make a difference, and the Lakers will have to trust their players to come through for them and deliver on expectations.
In what will go down as one of the last regular-season meetings ever between LeBron James and Stephen Curry, they gave us an exciting show in Los Angeles. The next time these teams face off could be in the NBA playoffs, where the Warriors will surely be looking for revenge after their elimination in 2023.
