Here is what you need to know before the Lakers get a rematch with the Golden State Warriors.
1)
The Lakers are aiming to put up a much bigger fight against the Warriors than when they fell on Wednesday, 149-106. Golden State finished its rout with the most points by a Lakers opponent in 36 years and a franchise-record 47 assists.
2)
The lone bright spot for the Lakers in that contest was rookie Brandon Ingram. The second-overall pick made his first start and tallied a career-high 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting.
3)
In that last game, the Lakers were shorthanded without D’Angelo Russell (sore knee) — who is out for at least two weeks — and Julius Randle (hip pointer). Randle is considered questionable to play in this rematch, as is Nick Young (sprained foot), which means Los Angeles could be without three starters.
4)
Since the Lakers beat the Warriors by 20 on Nov. 4, Golden State has asserted its dominance on the league by winning nine straight games. Over this span, the Warriors’ offense has provided a massive 123.6 points per game.
5)
One area that the Lakers will have in their favor is home-court advantage. Since moving to Staples Center in 1999, the purple and gold have piled up a lopsided 30-5 record against the Warriors in Los Angeles.
6)
The Warriors don’t have many flaws, but they do allow their opponents to grab the NBA’s second-most offensive rebounds (12.0). L.A. was unable to take advantage of this earlier in the week, grabbing just seven.
7)
In their first clash this month, the Lakers were able to contain two-time reigning MVP Stephen Curry, who failed to hit a 3-pointer for the first time in a league-record 157 games. However, he was back to his usual, unbelievable self on Wednesday, scoring a game-high 31-points while knocking down seven triples.
8)
Curry’s backcourt mate, Klay Thompson, has been deadly from deep over his last four games, averaging 27.0 points. The reigning Three-Point Shootout champion is hitting 57.1 percent from the field in this span, including 16-of-33 on 3-pointers.
9)
The Lakers had no answer for Curry, Thompson and Kevin Durant on Wednesday, as the trio combined for 85 points and 13 3-pointers. It was a clinic from the All-Stars, who combined to hit 66.0 percent of their shots.
Warriors’ Shot Chart vs. Lakers (Nov. 23, 2016)
10)
The Warriors’ fourth All-Star, Draymond Green, is the only one having trouble scoring, as he is shooting 36.4 percent in his last six games, with a 4-of-20 mark on 3s. However, he has still been a big contributor, particularly on the defensive side, ranking fourth in the NBA in steals (2.13), second in shots contested (14.5) and third in deflections (4.0).
Injury Report
Lakers: D’Angelo Russell (sore left knee) is out. Julius Randle (hip pointer) and Nick Young (sprained toe, left foot) are questionable. Ivica Zubac is on D-League assignment.
Warriors: Damian Jones is on D-League assignment.
Tip-off: 7:30 p.m. PT
TV: Spectrum SportsNet and Spectrum Deportes in L.A. NBA TV nationally.
Radio: 710 ESPN and 1330 KWKW