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The Golden State Warriors will make a trip to the Crypto.com Arena for a matchup against the struggling LA Lakers team on Saturday. Both teams have met twice this season and although they were close games, the Warriors were able to take wins in both of them.
The Dubs come into this game after yet another disappointing defeat to the Dallas Mavericks. They came back from 16 points behind in the fourth quarter, but Luka Doncic's brilliance helped the Mavs get past the finish line. The youngster scored 41 points and led the way for a 122-113 win on the night. Steph Curry went scoreless in the fourth quarter, while rookie Moses Moddy racked up 10 points there to keep the Warriors in the game.
The Lakers were handed a blowout defeat by their inter-city rivals, the LA Clippers. They were down 17 points at one time but fought their way back to reduce the deficit to only three points at halftime. However, from there on, the game was dominated by the Clippers as they kept racking buckets to which the Lakers had no response. Reggie Jackson scored 36 points for the Clippers and led the way for a 132-111 win on the night.
Match Details
Fixture: Golden State Warriors vs LA Lakers | NBA Season 2021-22
Date & Time: Saturday, March 5, 9:30 PM ET [Sunday, March 6, 7:00 AM IST]
Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA.
Golden State Warriors Preview
The Golden State Warriors have gone on to lose three games on the trot. They are the second seed in the West with a 43-20 record. Pushing to get to second place in the Memphis Grizzlies, who are just one game behind the Dubs. This means that the Warriors cannot afford further slippage, which makes their game against the Lakers a crucial one.
The team are playing without Draymond Green and this seems to have massively affected their defense. He has returned to practice, but the Warriors do not want to rush his return, keeping the playoffs in mind. They have a lot of talented youngsters who can deliver, but due to a lapse in concentration in the fourth quarter, the Warriors have ended up losing their most recent games.
Golden State has been extremely successful against the Lakers. They will be hoping to keep that going and sweep the regular-season series. But for that to happen, they will have to put in a good team performance and with LeBron James in the opposition, there is no room for a defensive lapse as he is very much capable of changing the course of the game on his own.
Key Player - Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry was disappointed after the team's defeat to the Dallas Mavericks. He was unable to fire a single shot in the fourth quarter and stated that he needed to find a solution to come out on top against good defenses. Going up against the Lakers, Curry could expect to have a big scoring night as the Purple and Gold are not a great defensive unit. However, knowing his brilliance, the Lakers will come into the game all prepared to put him under pressure. If he gets going, the Dubs are certainly favorites to come out of this game as winners.
Golden State Warriors Predicted Lineup
G - Steph Curry, G - Klay Thompson, F - Andrew Wiggins, F - Moses Moody, C - Kevon Looney
LA Lakers Preview
The LA Lakers continued their run of disappointment after yet another defeat to the LA Clippers on Thursday. They continue as the ninth seed in the West with a 27-35 record. This has helped them stay in the play-in spot, but with the New Orleans Pelicans right behind them, the Purple and Gold are in trouble of even falling out of the play-in spot.
LeBron James has been their only player who is in form. Russell Westbrook did show signs of life against the Clippers, but the Lakers will need some consistency from him. With Anthony Davis injured, the Lakers' defense has been dismal and they will need to soon come up with a solution to get better on that end.
The Warriors are a stellar team and this game is going to be another tricky one for the Lakers. They will need to play at their best if they're to come out with a win. Having lost four in a row, this is a must-win game for them if they are to hold the ninth seed in the West. They have lost their last 4 games at home and will be hoping to end their disappointing run by putting up a stellar performance on Saturday.
Key Player - LeBron James
LeBron James has had a terrific season individually. The 37-year-old has averaged 28.8 PPG, 8.0 RPG and 6.2 APG. Playing in Year 19, he has played 36.8 minutes per game, proving how great of a player he is. James is disappointed with where the team is currently, but has still not lost hope from them.
Going up against the Warriors, he is going to be a key player for them. His ability to hit some big shots will come in handy and with the Warriors also showing signs of weakness in the defense, he will be looking to exploit them and help the Lakers put an end to their four-game losing streak.
Warriors vs Lakers Match Prediction
The Warriors and the Lakers have both come into this game on the back of disappointing results in their previous games. The two sides have already played stunning games this season and this only also promises to be a thriller.
However, considering the roster and the way both sides have played this year, the Warriors do look like favorites to grab a win at the Crypto.com Arena.
Where to watch the Warriors vs Lakers game?
All games will be available to stream live on the official NBA app. The game between the Warriors and the Lakers will also be nationally televised on ABC. NBC Sports Bay Area and Spectrum SportsNet will locally air the game.
