The Los Angeles Lakers are in must-win territory for each of their final three games of the regular season if they hope to climb out of the No. 9 spot and into the top half of the Play-In Tournament. It begins with their final home game of the regular season against the Golden State Warriors with LeBron James returning to the lineup but Anthony Davis unfortunately ruled out.
The Lakers lost their most recent game against the Minnesota Timberwolves — their second loss in 11 games — with James sidelined due to flu-like symptoms and Davis leaving the game early with an eye injury. James is return to the lineup to face the Warriors given the importance with both teams fighting for positioning. He is still dealing with flu-like symptoms but was able to get to the arena and give it a go.
Davis, on the other hand, is still dealing with a headache and nausea so was ruled out.
L.A. would love to climb into the No. 7-No. 8 matchup of the Play-In Tournament, while the Warriors — currently at No. 10 — are hopeful to catch the Lakers and get the chance to host a Play-In Game instead of travel. With so much at stake, it stands to reason that L.A. and Golden State are going to give it their all to win this one.
Only Dario Saric is out for the Warriors and Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood are L.A.’s lone inactives outside of Davis. The Lakers and Warriors are known for their back-and-forth battles, and it shows Golden State’s 2-1 season series advantage.
The Lakers defeated the Warriors by one point in a double overtime affair back in January, and Golden State proceeded to win the next two — in February and March — by 18 and seven points, respectively. A win by the Warriors would give them a tiebreaker over L.A., while a loss would put them out of reach in the standings.
Stopping the Warriors starts and ends with slowing down Stephen Curry, who is averaging 36.3 points per game against the Lakers this season. In previous years, the Lakers have had more success with Curry, but due to the offensive-minded backcourt of D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves getting the bulk of the minutes, Curry has had more free range to operate in 2024.
Without Vanderbilt in the lineup, most of the Curry stopping is on the shoulders of Gabe Vincent and Spencer Dinwiddie, both of whom have impressed defensively since joining the mix. The Lakers have been elite on both ends of the floor in recent weeks, and the results speak for themselves. In order to stay alive in the mix for No. 7, L.A. has to continue their winning ways even with a team like the Warriors desperately trying to stop them.
Los Angeles Lakers (45-34) vs. Golden State Warriors (43-35)
7:00 p.m. PT, Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
TV: TNT, Spectrum SportsNet
Radio: 710 AM ESPN LA
Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:
PG: D’Angelo Russell
SG: Austin Reaves
SF: LeBron James
PF: Rui Hachimura
C: Jaxson Hayes
Key Reserves: Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Spencer Dinwiddie, Max Christie
Projected Warriors Starting Lineup:
PG: Stephen Curry
SG: Klay Thompson
SF: Andrew Wiggins
PF: Trayce Jackson-Davis
C: Draymond Green
Key Reserves: Chris Paul, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Kevon Looney, Brandin Podziemski
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