Preview: Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers - prediction, team news, form guide

Western Conference heavyweights Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers header the Christmas/Boxing Day enactment successful the 2024-25 NBA play with their gathering astatine the Chase Center connected Thursday.
 
Both teams suffered disappointing location defeats successful their respective astir caller outings, but lone 1 of them volition beryllium capable to get backmost to winning ways present astatine the disbursal of the other, who would person their festive tone further dampened by a 2nd consecutive loss.

Match preview

© Imago
 
The Golden State Warriors saw their torrid tally of signifier proceed arsenic they fell to a 105-111 decision against the Indiana Pacers connected Tuesday, 48 hours aft snapping a tally of 3 consecutive defeats by beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 113-103.
 
Despite signaling their 2nd highest-scoring archetypal fractional successful the past 12 games, Steve Kerr's men had an eight-point shortage to marque up heading into the interval and managed to halve that successful the 3rd quarter, earlier their comeback effort was nipped successful the bud down the stretch.
 
Jonathan Kuminga tallied his highest points disconnected the seat this word with 26 to pb the scoring for the Warriors, who could truly person done with Steph Curry not having different unsmooth nighttime offensively, arsenic the defender managed conscionable 10 points connected 2-13 shooting.
 
A tally of 10 defeats from 13 matches implicit the past 30 days has seen the Warriors plummet to a 15-13 grounds to beryllium eighth successful the Western Conference standings, conscionable beneath their adjacent opponents having played a crippled fewer.
 
Games betwixt the Warriors and the Lakers person often served up fireworks connected galore occasions, with the 4 competitory meetings successful 2024 yielding an mean of 257.5 points, acknowledgment successful nary tiny portion to January's 145-144 thriller.
 
Thursday's hosts person won each of the consequent 3 league encounters, arsenic good arsenic 1 Summer League clash and 2 pre-season matchups, which should springiness them immense assurance that they tin look victorious here.

© Imago
 
Aiming to triumph 4 games connected the bounce for the archetypal clip since their six-game winning streak successful November, the Los Angeles Lakers were near red-faced astatine the Crypto.com Arena pursuing a 114-117 decision to the Detroit Pistons connected Tuesday.
 
JJ Redick's men recovered from a slender first-quarter shortage to spell into fractional clip narrowly up earlier losing each of the consequent 2 quarters en way to lone a 3rd decision successful beforehand of their fans truthful far.
 
Still going beardown conscionable six days shy of his 40th birthday, LeBron James tallied 28 points connected 10-16 shooting from the tract to spell on with 11 rebounds and assists apiece for an eighth triple-double of the season.
 
Having divided their 10 games successful December into 5 wins and arsenic galore defeats, the Lakers are successful request of immoderate consistency arsenic they look to propulsion distant successful the contention for playoff contention, presently trailing metropolis rivals Los Angeles Clippers successful sixth place.
 
In what is acceptable to beryllium their last roadworthy engagement of 2024, Thursday's visitors volition beryllium looking to triumph a 3rd consecutive distant crippled earlier wrapping up the twelvemonth with location matches against the Sacramento Kings and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Golden State Warriors NBA form:

Los Angeles Lakers NBA form:

Team News

© Imago
 
Thirty-two-year-old Gary Payton II is the Warriors' lone wounded interest for this 1 aft helium missed his side's decision to the Pacers owed to a calf issue.

Draymond Green and Moses Moody shook disconnected wounded concerns successful clip to play a portion successful the aforementioned game, and some men volition beryllium expected to diagnostic connected Thursday arsenic well.
 
Jarred Vanderbilt is simply a guaranteed absentee present aft suffering a setback successful his instrumentality from a genu occupation and volition not beryllium disposable to suit up for the Lakers until aboriginal January.
 
Jaxson Hayes (ankle) and Christian Wood (knee) are besides unavailable for the visitors, though some men are closing successful connected returning to enactment arsenic aboriginal arsenic adjacent week.
 
Jalen Hood-Schifino is presently nursing a hamstring occupation and is simply a large uncertainty alongside D'Angelo Russell, who whitethorn beryllium incapable to fastener horns against his erstwhile employers having travel disconnected with a manus wounded against the Pistons.

We say: Warriors to triumph by 4+ points

 
Both teams cognize a triumph present could beryllium the catalyst for embarking connected a winning streak, truthful we expect them to beryllium afloat for the challenge.
 
That said, we tin spot the Warriors doing capable to spot disconnected the Lakers and manus their fans a Christmas present.

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