Who are the referees for Lakers vs. Warriors Game 2 in 2023 NBA playoffs?

Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors will be held on Thursday, May 4. The game will tip at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Lakers lead the series 1-0.

The Warriors are 6.5-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook. They are the moneyline favorites at -255, while the Lakers are the underdogs installed at +215. The point total is set at 227.

Tony Brothers will be the crew chief for Thursday’s game. He will be joined by Eric Lewis as the referee and Pat Fraher as the umpire. JB DeRosa will be on hand as an alternate.

Brothers has 29 years of reffing experience and has been the crew chief for seven playoff games. The home team is winning just 28.6% of those games and has a 1.9-point differential. The point total for those games averaged out to 216.1, and Brothers’ crews called an average of 37.4 fouls per game.

Brothers and his crew could certainly have an impact when it comes to betting. The series' first game saw the Warriors favored by four, and the point total set at 228. The Lakers won by five in an upset, and the teams combined for 229 points, barely eclipsing the total. I think Brothers and his staff will have an impact on the point total. While postseason games with Brothers as the chief has seen 216.1 points scored, the 64 regular season games that he was chief had an average point total at 234.7. While it may seem like you should take the under with his playoff experience, the over is the move.