Golden State Warriors visit Los Angeles Lakers aiming to tighten grip on West top seed
Watch Golden State Warriors @ Los Angeles Lakers live on Sky Sports Arena in the early hours of Friday morning (3:30am)
Friday 5 April 2019 06:19, UK
The Golden State Warriors visit the Los Angeles Lakers looking to tighten their grip on the top seed in the Western Conference.
Live NBA: Golden State @ LA Lakers
The Warriors (53-24) have taken advantage of a drop-off in form from the Denver Nuggets to re-establish themselves as the top team in the Western Conference.
The defending champions have reeled off four wins in their last five, with the only defeat during that run coming amid controversial circumstances in Minnesota.
The most recent victory, meanwhile, was an ominous third successive thrashing of the Nuggets, which will leave the Warriors full of confidence regarding a possible conference finals playoff matchup.
Having fallen out of playoff contention, the Lakers (35-43) have shown some spirit to win four of their last six, but with LeBron James having shut things down for the season, their prospects against the Warriors are somewhat bleak.
With Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Josh Hart also having already been ruled out for the season, the Lakers will be desperate for Kyle Kuzma, who is listed as questionable, to return from a two-game absence caused by an ankle injury.
Key battle: Warriors vs Officials
The biggest threat to the Warriors' hopes of victory at the Staples Center may not come directly from their opponents.
Steve Kerr and his players have made a habit of clashing with referees this season, with tensions rising higher than ever over the past week.
Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and Curry were all fined for comments they made in the aftermath of their defeat to the Timberwolves last Friday, with the trio feeling that late game calls had gone against them.
Two games later, Durant was then ejected during the Warriors' victory over the Nuggets, once more overstepping the line having been frustrated by the officials' decisions.
Durant and Green are tied for the second most technical fouls in the league this season with 16 each, while the Warriors (77) trail only the Phoenix Suns as a team.
With NBA officials unlikely to be taking kindly to a perceived disrespect coming from the Warriors, it is something Kerr needs to address before each the postseason.
Last time out
Numbers game
6.4 - That's the league-best number of blocks the Warriors are averaging per game this season.
With the Lakers having struggled from three-point range all season, they are reliant on getting to the basket to score. That should play into the hands of the Warriors' swarming defence.
One to watch (Warriors): Steph Curry
While an excuse to focus in on the two-time MVP is never required, there is a new reason to be excited about watching Steph Curry.
Having suffered - by his standards - a shooting slump in February, as he made just 51 of 135 three-point attempts (37.8 per cent), Curry sought to address the problem by wearing contact lenses.
Little did we know, Curry had been dealing with a long-term eye condition, which he believed had begun to impede his shooting.
After putting the lenses in, Curry shot 43.4 per cent from distance in March and is currently on a nine-game run of having made at least five three-pointers.
It would take a brave individual to bet against Curry continuing the streak in Los Angeles.
One to watch (Lakers): Alex Caruso
The Lakers' injury problems have provided opportunities for some less heralded names, including backup point guard Alex Caruso.
The 25-year-old had played in just six games up until March, but has now turned out in the Lakers' last 15 outings, appearing to grow in confidence with each appearance.
Caruso came off the bench to score a career-high 23 points as the Lakers won in New Orleans - without James - over the weekend, and has made his last five three-point attempts.
With his two-year contract set to end this summer, Caruso is playing for his future in the NBA, and the way he's going, the Lakers might not be the only team interested in his services next season.
