In the first of two pre-season encounters between the sides three days apart, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors will go head-to-head at the T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday.
Both teams came out on top against Eastern Conference opponents last time out as the Lakers edged a close game against the Milwaukee Bucks, while the Warriors emphatically got the better of the Detroit Pistons.
Match preview
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Off the back of defeats against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns, the Los Angeles Lakers finally notched their first pre-season victory at the third time of asking courtesy of a 107-102 triumph over the Bucks at the Fiserv Arena on Friday.
Trailing by eight points heading into the final 12 minutes, JJ Redick's men were set for defeat number three on the bounce before rallying to produce their highest scoring fourth quarter of pre-season so far.
Out-rebounding their Milwaukee counterparts by eight, the Lakers' dominance on the glass translated to a 33-20 quarter win, largely inspired by a whopping 20-0 run in an emphatic 336-second spell.
While most of the attention has been on Bronny James and understandably so, it was the other Lakers draft pick Dalton Knecht who came up with the goods, posting 13 points, a team-high eight rebounds and four assists in his 34 minutes.
Having now got themselves back to winning ways, the Lakers will be gearing up for the final half of their pre-season campaign with two matches against the Warriors to come either side of a clash against the Suns before the real action gets underway.
With the teams not scheduled to meet in the NBA regular season until Boxing Day, the Lakers have the opportunity to snap a current four-game losing streak against their next opponents, including a blowout 92-68 loss in July's Summer League encounter.
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The Golden State Warriors maintained their perfect pre-season journey with their biggest win so far as they ran out 111-93 winners over the Pistons in the second of back-to-back outings at the Chase Center on Monday.
Despite the unavailability of Steph Curry and Draymond Green, the team's best scorer and facilitator respectively, the Warriors raced to a 19-point advantage at half time and never looked like letting it slip at any point.
In keeping with their opening encounter against the Los Angeles Clippers and last week's double-header against the Sacramento Kings, Steve Kerr's men did not hold back in letting it fly from deep, as they made 18 of their 39 three-point attempts.
The Warriors continue to put on show the kind of deadly three-point shooting that saw them establish a dynasty in the mid to late 2010s, contesting five straight NBA finals and winning three championships from 2015-2019.
One of only two teams—along with the Boston Celtics—with a 4-0 record in pre-season, the Warriors look to be gathering momentum ahead of the start of the new season, where they will be looking to re-establish themselves as a dominant force.
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Team News
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Brandin Podziemski suffered a nose contusion in the Warriors' victory last time out, and the sophomore guard is a major doubt for Wednesday's heavyweight affair.
Twenty-nine-year-old Andrew Wiggins missed his side's most recent outing through a minor illness but has now been passed fit to feature against the Lakers.
Veteran duo Steph Curry and Draymond Green are also expected to suit up for this one, although the former's availability is less certain after recently picking up a finger injury.
Currently dealing with a sore ankle, Austin Reaves remains an injury doubt for the Lakers, and Max Christie could retain his place in the starting five as a result.
As confirmed by his head coach, Jarred Vanderbilt is making significant progress towards returning to action from a foot problem but will not play any part here.
Averaging just over 16 minutes per game across his two pre-season outings so far, LeBron James could be given an extended run-out against the Warriors in this one.
Los Angeles Lakers possible starting five:
Russell, Christie; James, Hachimura; Davis
Golden State Warriors possible starting five:
Curry, Melton; Kuminga, Green; Jackson-Davis
We say: Warriors to win by 7+ points
The Warriors are in scintillating form at the moment, and their ability to knock down shots all around the team will pose a stern test to the Lakers.
We can see Steve Kerr's men going on another rampage from beyond the arc to claim a fifth victory on the bounce.
Adepoju Marvellous
