After a tough first-round series against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Los Angeles Lakers face a much steeper test in the second round as they face off against the defending champions, the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers beat the Grizzlies in six games, while the Warriors overcame a 0-2 series deficit to beat the Sacramento Kings in seven games.
Although Golden State and Los Angeles are the six and seven seeds, respectively, they shouldn’t be viewed as your traditional late seeds as they boast two all-time greats in Stephen Curry and LeBron James. Both squads struggled to find consistency throughout the 2022-23 season, but they started to round into form toward the end of regular season. The Warriors got healthy at the right time, while the Lakers overhauled their roster at the trade deadline to give them a much deeper and talented roster.
Entering the semi-finals, both Golden State and L.A. are healthy. The two squads dealt with various injuries to key players throughout the season, but now have their full complement of players available for is sure to be an electric series.
Before the series begins on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. PT in the Bay Area, here’s a recap of how their regular season matchups turned out.
October 18 @ Golden State: Warriors 123, Lakers 109
The first game of the 2022-23 season was a celebration for the Warriors, who hung a championship banner after beating the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals. Not only did Golden State get to relive their championship, but they also defeated Los Angeles to get their season started on the right foot.
Curry picked up where he left off after earning his first Finals MVP award, leading all scorers with 33 to go along with seven assists and six rebounds. Meanwhile, LeBron James showed the world that even in Year 20 he could hang with the best as he posted a near triple-double of 31 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists.
February 11 @ Golden State: Lakers 109, Warriors 103
Los Angeles’ second game against Golden State featured their new trade deadline acquisitions. D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley made their purple and gold debuts and helped lead the Lakers to their first win of the season over the Warriors, albeit without Curry in the lineup.
Russell showed how he could command the offense without James, while Vanderbilt displayed his two-way utility and relentless energy. Beasley struggled to shoot the basketball but did offer a glimpse of how his shooting gravity could bend opposing defenses.
February 23 @ Los Angeles: Lakers 124, Warriors 111
The third matchup between the Lakers and Warriors was on the backs of the role players as Anthony Davis and James combined for just 25 points while Golden State remained without Curry. After a rough first outing, Beasley showed off how he could be an asset as he caught fire from beyond the arc. The sharpshooter nailed seven of his 11 attempts from deep, leading all scorers with 25 points.
Meanwhile, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura led the bench unit with 17 and 14 points, respectively. It was the first time in the James-Davis era that neither of them were in the top-3 in regards to the team’s scoring leaders.
March 5 @ Los Angeles: Lakers 113, Warriors 105
The final game between Golden State and L.A. was a hard-fought one as Curry made his return to the lineup. Curry looked like he didn’t miss any time, dazzling with his usual display of shooting and finishing at the rim.
However, Davis was the clear best player of the night as he dominated the interior to the tune of 39 points on 14-of-25 shooting and 10-of-13 from the free-throw line. Davis was without James, who was rehabbing a foot injury, but he was able to carry the load on both ends for the purple and gold.
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