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It’ll be a Pacific division showdown in the second round of the 2023 NBA playoffs when the Golden State Warriors face the Los Angeles Lakers. The Warriors battled past the Kings in Game 7, while the Lakers took out the Grizzlies in six games to advance. Here’s a look at how the teams match up ahead of the series.
No. 6 Warriors vs. No. 7 Lakers
Head-to-head record: Lakers 3-1
Overall record: Warriors 44-38 , Lakers 43-39
Leading scorer on Warriors: Stephen Curry
Leading scorer on Lakers: LeBron James
Odds to win series: Warriors -155, Lakers +130
It looked like the Warriors had turned a corner after Game 5 against the Kings, but they promptly played their worst game of the season in Game 6 to force a road Game 7. Stephen Curry, who has been the heartbeat of this franchise, played a marvelous game to push the defending champs past the upstart Kings. Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green are starting to figure things out again, while Kevon Looney has become a force on the interior. This team, after an inconsistent regular season, is starting to take shape as a championship contender.
The Lakers managed to withstand LeBron James’ absence late in the season, then won the first play-in game in overtime to grab the No. 7 seed. More importantly, the Lakers got some extra rest by winning the first game. James, Anthony Davis and the supporting cast bullied the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round, taking advantage of some absences down low for the No. 2 seed. The Lakers are starting to find a rhythm at the right time, and got some extra rest ahead of this series by closing out Memphis in six. If James and Davis can stay healthy, this team has the star power to carry it through a series.