Thanks to the longstanding rivalry between LeBron James and Stephen Curry, the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors have built up a bit of a distaste over the past couple of seasons. Recent meetings in the NBA Playoffs and Play-In Tournament have only intensified things and now the two teams are set for a massive meeting with major playoff implications.
The Lakers currently sit in the third spot in the Western Conference at 46-29 while the Warriors aren’t far behind at 44-31 in the fifth spot. With how tight the standings are, each game means that much more as a single loss can drop a team multiple spots in the standings and neither team wants to wind up in the Play-In.
The Lakers do hold the tiebreaker over the Warriors already, having beaten them in all three prior meetings, but this is the first in which the team’s new stars will take the court. The acquisition of Luka Doncic by the Lakers and Jimmy Butler by the Warriors have turned each team from a fringe playoff contender to squads with legit championship aspirations and each will be looking to send a message in this contest.
Both teams are coming off big wins over other playoff teams with Curry’s 52-point performance on Tuesday night wowing NBA fans yet again. Between Curry, James, Doncic and Butler, this game will have as much star power as any the league can offer, not to mention Austin Reaves and Draymond Green who are both crucial to their teams’ success.
But this game could very well be decided by the role players and who steps up when needed most. Gabe Vincent and Dorian Finney-Smith each knocked down six 3-pointers in the Lakers’ win over the Houston Rockets while Jaxson Hayes and Rui Hachimura have been crucial to this team’s success as well.
Meanwhile, Moses Moody has stepped up as of late for the Warriors, as has Brandin Podziemski, both of whom are important starters. And the Lakers can’t afford to forget about Buddy Hield and Quentin Post off the bench as both can catch fire from deep in an instant.
This is about as must-watch of a game as the NBA can present and if things go a certain way, could be a first-round playoff preview as well so expect another high-intensity back-and-forth contest as the Lakers and Warriors always seem to deliver.
Los Angeles Lakers (46-29) vs. Golden State Warriors (44-31)
7:00 p.m. PT, Thursday, April 3, 2025
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
TV: TNT, TruTV, MAX
Radio: 710 AM ESPN LA
Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:
PG: Luka Doncic
SG: Austin Reaves
SF: Rui Hachimura
PF: LeBron James
C: Jaxson Hayes
Key Reserves: Dorian Finney-Smith, Gabe Vincent, Jordan Goodwin, Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht
Projected Warriors Starting Lineup:
PG: Stephen Curry
SG: Brandin Podziemski
SF: Moses Moody
PF: Jimmy Butler III
C: Draymond Green
Key Reserves: Buddy Hield, Quentin Post, Gui Santos, Kevon Looney
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