The Golden State Warriors host the Los Angeles Lakers at the Chase Center on Thursday, April 9, at 10:00 PM ET.
The Warriors are 37-42 and 10th in the West with a 22-18 home record, while the Lakers are 50-29 and fourth in the West with a 24-16 road record.
The Warriors are coming off a close 110-105 win over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, stopping a four-game losing streak, while the Lakers fell to their third straight loss with an uncompetitive 123-87 performance against the OKC Thunder on Tuesday as well. The last meeting between these teams came on February 28, 2026, with the Lakers winning 129-101 at the Chase Center. This is the fourth and final matchup between the rivals this season, with the season series being 2-1 in LA’s favor.
Stephen Curry missed the last clash between the teams due to injury, but recently returned to the lineup. He’s averaging 27.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists this season, and could return to the starting lineup after coming off the bench in the last two games. Brandin Podziemski will be Curry’s co-star after leading the team in his absence, averaging 13.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists this season.
The Lakers will be led by 41-year-old forward LeBron James, who’s averaging 20.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.1 assists this season. This might be another chapter in the James vs. Curry rivalry, with both players expected to lead their squads. With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves out with injury, Rui Hachimura will likely be James’ co-star, averaging 11.3 points and 3.3 rebounds on the season.
Injury Report
Warriors
L.J. Cryer: Probable (illness)
Stephen Curry: Questionable (knee)
Charles Bassey: Questionable (ankle)
Gui Santos: Questionable (pelvic)
Will Richard: Doubtful (back)
Kristaps Porzingis: Out (illness)
Quinten Post: Out (foot)
Jimmy Butler III: Out (knee)
Al Horford: Out (calf)
Moses Moody: Out (knee)
Lakers
Luka Doncic: Out (hamstring)
Austin Reaves: Out (elbow)
Jaxson Hayes: Out (foot)
Marcus Smart: Out (ankle)
Why The Warriors Have The Advantage
The Warriors are locked into the No. 10 seed for this season, so more regular-season wins won’t change their postseason status in any way. However, the fact that Curry is back in the rotation means the franchise has a built-in reason to win games. Curry needs to readjust to playing at full speed if the Warriors are hoping to win two games in a win-or-go-home situation just to get the honor of playing the Thunder in the first round of the Playoffs.
The Warriors’ stats over the season clearly identify them as the highest-volume shooters in the NBA, even without Curry in the lineup. Golden State puts up 44.4 three-pointers per game, first in the NBA, while converting them at 35.7%. They shoot 36.4% from three at home, so this will be their biggest weapon in this clash.
The Lakers are having clear problems protecting the ball without their star guards in the rotation, with James averaging 3.0 turnovers per game. The Warriors as a team force 9.8 steals per game (second-best in the NBA), so they’ll be eyeing errant passes and other turnover opportunities to punish the Lakers in transition, especially with their weak transition defense.
The chances of the Warriors winning this clash without Curry are slim, given how LeBron has played as the primary scoring option for the Lakers. Steph has averaged 23.0 points on 48.5% shooting from the field in the two games since his return, coming off the bench but playing a huge role in keeping Golden State competitive in both games.
Given the spotlight every Lakers vs. Warriors or LeBron vs. Steph game brings, there’ll be plenty of motivation to seal a win.
Why The Lakers Have The Advantage
The Lakers are winless in April after losing both Doncic and Reaves in their month-opening clash against the Thunder. They haven’t even looked competitive in the two games since, but they have inherent strengths they can rely upon against a comparatively weaker opponent like the Warriors.
One of the few weapons on LA’s side is randomness, as JJ Redick is using this time to experiment with lineups. The likes of Kobe Bufkin, Nick Smith Jr., Bronny James, and Dalton Knecht can all fill different holes in the roster, and if any of them manage to catch fire, the Warriors will be left on the back foot.
The Lakers have a 116.8 offensive rating this season and a 116.1 defensive rating. The drop in offense without Doncic and Reaves could be made up defensively, especially with coach Redick looking for defensive contributors to emerge from the Lakers’ rotation. If his spat with Jarred Vanderbilt was nothing major, we could see the forward be used in a key defensive role.
JJ Redick’s offensive scheme focuses on efficiency, which comes through with the team leading the NBA in field-goal percentage with 50.0%. They also generate 36.6 points from drives and are No. 2 in the NBA in free-throw attempts (27.1 FTA). If they can avoid the dreadful 14-31 free-throw shooting performance we saw them have against the Thunder here, it should be a big source of points for the franchise.
The Lakers need a win if they want to keep their chances at securing the No. 4 seed alive, currently tied with the Houston Rockets for that seed.
X-Factors
De’Anthony Melton is a strong combo guard for the Warriors in their rotation, although his minutes and production can vary from game to game. His two-way skill set allows him to be impactful whether he has the ball or not, as Melton can defend and stretch the floor as well. If the Lakers are throwing out random guard combinations at the Warriors, Melton might be a great option to match up with all of them. He is averaging 12.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists this season.
Draymond Green forms the team’s defensive foundation and will be key in guarding LeBron James. His impact won’t come through on the box score, but if the Warriors manage to throttle the Lakers’ offense, it’ll be due to Green’s presence. Even if he has an average offensive game, it might be enough to carry Golden State forward. Green is averaging 8.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists this season.
Luke Kennard has been thriving as a featured offensive option since the Doncic and Reaves injuries. He’s averaging 8.7 points since joining the Lakers in February, but has averaged 10.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 7.7 assists in the last three games. LeBron’s presence should allow Kennard to play off a high-level playmaker, which should boost his shooting after legitimately being guarded as the Lakers’ No. 1 scoring option in their last game.
Deandre Ayton might have a hard time catching the ball in his hands, but there will be plenty of opportunities to have a bounce-back game against the Warriors. They have a weak frontcourt that Ayton could dominate with his physicality, but he needs to be motivated to make that impact after passive performances in his last two outings. He’s averaging 12.2 points and 8.0 rebounds this season.
Prediction
The Lakers have been in disarray since losing Doncic and Reaves. Even with James leading the team, they look to be disconnected on the court without their two backcourt stars. Coach Redick is also clashing with his players through this stretch, so it seems the stage is set for the Warriors to come in and pull off a win. Even with the incentive to secure home-court advantage with the No. 4 seed, the experimental Lakers might not be able to outhustle a motivated Warriors squad looking to get into play-in shape.
Prediction: Warriors 121, Lakers 114
