NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking Points from Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers

Final Score: Warriors 108 - 99 Lakers

The regular season is coming to an end but the fight for the #1 seed in the Western Conference is still on, with the Golden State Warriors and the Denver Nuggets fighting for it. The Warriors were up against the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers which provided them an opportunity to help themselves towards clinching the first seed in the conference.

Just like you would expect, the Warriors dominated the Lakers and picked up an easy win on the road. This win bettered the Warriors' record to 54-24 ahead of the Nuggets' 52-26. This loss will not have any impact on the Lakers' team as they are already out of playoffs contention and are just waiting for their off-season to begin.

In this article, let us take a look at three talking points from the Warriors' win over the Lakers in Los Angeles.

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#3 Johnathan Williams' double-double off the bench for the Lakers

Golden State Warriors v Los Angeles Lakers

With a lot of players out of action, several Lakers youngsters have been getting extended minutes lately which gives the organisation an opportunity to understand these players better.

Johnathan Williams, who is in his first season with the Lakers, made use of the opportunity given to him and showed everyone what he is capable of doing as he put together an impressive double-double coming off the bench.

Williams' best-game before this one came against the Boston Celtics last month when he scored 18 points and snagged 10 rebounds. The double-double last night was the second one in his career.

The 23-year-old went 8-for-14 from the field and scored 17 points, grabbed 13 rebounds. It is worth mentioning that he had 7 dunks on the night and showed that he can become a dominant force in the paint.

#2 Stephen Curry struggled to shoot but made his presence felt

Stephen Curry had a disappoint game and finished with just 7 points

Stephen Curry is the heart and soul of this team and even though the Warriors have a great all-round team, take Curry out and they don't look the same. They are a different team altogether and way better when Curry is on the court and that is not even up for debate.

We've all seen them struggle and fail miserably whenever Curry misses games due to injury. He has been playing at an elite level all season long and is expected to make it to yet another All-NBA First/Second Team.

However, last night, Curry had a rare off-night shooting the ball as he went 3-for-14 from the field, including 1-for-9 from downtown. He finished the game with only 7 points but found other ways to make his presence felt. He had 10 rebounds and 7 assists in the game, to go along with a steal.

He also had this insane pass to Kevin Durant in the first quarter.

Oh my god this Steph Curry pass 🔥📹:@NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/HdSIugeKWb

— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) April 5, 2019

#1 The Warriors outscored the Lakers 39-12 in the first quarter

DeMarcus Cousins had himself a strong night

The LeBron-less Los Angeles Lakers entered this game with nothing to lose while the Warriors needed this win to further get themselves closer to clinching the first-seed in the Western Conference.

The Dubs got off to a great start in the first quarter with Kevin Durant scoring 11 points and DeMarcus Cousins scoring 8 points. The inexperienced Lakers roster could not answer back and scored just 12 points to finish the quarter.

The Lakers did recover immediately in the second quarter, clinching it 30-21. However, giving the Warriors a 27-point lead in the first quarter alone took the game away from them and even though the Lakers kept fighting throughout the game, they did not have enough firepower to get back into the game. It definitely appears like the Warriors are beginning to flip that playoffs switch.