HOW THEY GOT HERE
The sixth-seed Warriors fell down 0-2 in their first-round series against the Kings but rallied to win four of the next five games to win the series in seven games. Their disparity between home and road games has been a consistent theme all season, but the Warriors won two pivotal road games in Sacramento, having now won a road game in 28 consecutive playoff series. Stephen Curry led the way, averaging 33.7 points per game and becoming the first player in NBA history to score 50 points in a Game 7. With the seventh-seed Lakers defeating the second-seed Grizzlies 4-2, the Warriors will have homecourt advantage in Round 2.
Plays of the Round | Western Conference First Round
The Lakers struggled to begin the season, winning just two of their first 10 games, but after a series of roster moves at the trade deadline, they have the best record in the NBA since All-Star break (21-9) when including the postseason. The Lakers acquired two current starters at the deadline, D'Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt, while bolstering their bench, adding the likes of Rui Hachimura and Malik Beasley.
Los Angeles defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA's Play-In Tournament before beating the Memphis Grizzlies 4-2 in the first round. In their first-round series against the Grizzlies, LeBron James and Anthony Davis both averaged 20-plus points (James 22.2; Davis 20.8) and 10-plus rebounds (Davis 13.7; James 11.2). Davis also averaged 4.3 blocks per game and leads these playoffs with 26 blocks, doubling up second-place (Andrew Wiggins, Al Horford and Mitchell Robinson all tied with 13 blocks). The Lakers depth was on display against Memphis as five different players led the team in scoring in at least one game (Rui Hachimura, Game 1; LeBron James, Game 2; Anthony Davis, Games 3 and 5; Austin Reaves, Game 4; D'Angelo Russell, Game 6).
The Warriors and Lakers haven't faced each other in the playoffs since 1991, but the two teams did go head-to-head in the 2021 Play-In Tournament. The Lakers won 103-100 behind a triple-double and go-ahead 3-pointer from LeBron James, while Anthony Davis recorded 25 points (including 13 in the fourth quarter) and 12 rebounds. Stephen Curry scored a game-high 37 points and hit six 3-pointers for the Warriors.
This season, the Lakers won three of four head-to-head regular season matchups against the Warriors, but both teams had many key players in and out of the lineup.
Game 1: Warriors vs. Lakers
Tuesday, May 2 | Tipoff: 7 p.m.
WATCH: TNT (national)
LISTEN: 95.7 The Game, Warriors Mobile App and Warriors Radio Network
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Western Conference Semifinals: Game 1 | Warriors vs. Lakers
CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY AND PEDIGREE
The Lakers (17 Championships; tied for 1st) and Warriors (7 Championships; 3rd) are the two winningest teams (based on number of NBA Championships) in the Western Conference. Among active players, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala are tied with LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers for the most NBA Championships. James is also tied with Derek Fisher for the most playoff series wins in NBA history (40). The Warriors played against James, then with the Cleveland Cavaliers, in four straight NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018, with the Dubs winning the series, and NBA Championships, in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
Sights & Sounds From Golden State Warriors Championship Ring Night
MATCHUP AT A GLANCE
| GSW | LAL |
| 4-3 | 4-2 |
| 6th in West | 7th in West |
| PTS: 115.9 (6th) | PTS: 112.2 (10th) |
| REB: 46.4 (5th) | REB: 49.7 (1st) |
| AST: 27.0 (2nd) | AST: 24.6 (6th) |
PREVIOUS GAME STARTERS
GSW: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney
LAL: D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Jarred Vanderbilt and Anthony Davis
INJURY & ROSTER NOTES
GSW: Patrick Baldwin Jr. (left toe; soreness) is questionable. Andre Iguodala (left wrist surgery) and Ryan Rollins (right foot surgery) are out. Team Notes
LAL: Mo Bamba (left ankle soreness) is questionable. Anthony Davis (right foot stress injury) and LeBron James (right foot soreness) are probable. Team Notes
DIFFERENT OFFENSIVE STRATEGY
The Warriors (118.9; 2nd) and Lakers (117.2; 6th) were top-six in scoring during the regular season but had very different ways of getting their buckets. The Warriors led the league in made 3-pointers (16.6 per game), while the Lakers finished sixth in points in the paint (54.5 per game). On the other hand, the Warriors ranked 28th in points in the paint (44.9 per game), while the Lakers ranked 24th in made 3-pointers (10.8 per game).
Leading each offensive unit, the Warriors have Stephen Curry, the NBA's 3-point leader in the regular season (3,390) and playoffs (595), while the Lakers have LeBron James, the NBA's All-time leading scorer in the regular season (38,652) and playoffs (7,764). Curry and James have combined to score 60,364 points, the 2nd-most points scored by opposing players entering a playoff-series in NBA history, only trailing LeBron James vs. Carmelo Anthony in the 2020 playoffs.
Highlights: Stephen Curry Becomes First Player Ever to Score 50 Points in Game 7
PLAYOFF TEAM LEADERS
| GSW | LAL |
| PTS: Curry (33.7) | PTS: James (22.2) |
| REB: Looney (15.1) | REB: Davis (13.7) |
| AST: D. Green (8.0) | AST: Russell (5.8) |
THREE KEYS
Battle on the Boards: The Lakers lead the league in rebounding in these playoffs, averaging 49.7 rebounds per game. The Warriors rank fifth in rebounds per game in the postseason (46.4) but were outrebounded by the Kings in their first-round series (47.7 RPG). The Warriors do have the playoff leader in rebounding, Kevon Looney (15.1 RPG), but it will require a team effort to keep the Lakers from controlling the boards.
3-Point Shooting Differential: A point of emphasis for the Lakers at the trade deadline was upgrading their shooting/spacing. They have reaped the benefits of that extra spacing, but many of their key contributors have struggled from distance in the postseason. In the Lakers' first-round series, Troy Brown Jr. shot 9.1 percent from three, LeBron James shot 19.5 percent, Dennis Schroder shot 22.2 percent, Malik Beasley shot 26.3 percent, Jarred Vanderbilt shot 29.4 percent and Anthony Davis shot 33.3 percent. Against the Kings in the first round, the Warriors were well below their regular season 3-point efficiency, shooting 32.8 percent from three, compared to 38.5 percent in the regular season. Winning the 3-point differential by a significant margin is very important for the Warriors, who still attempt a playoff-high 41.4 threes per game.
Keeping Lakers off the Line: The Lakers led the league in free throw attempts during the regular season (26.6) and were second in makes (20.6). Conversely, the Warriors attempted the fewest free throws per game (20.2) and were 29th in makes (16.0) — the Warriors attempted fewer free throws than the Lakers made. However, in the first round, the Warriors attempted (25.1 Warriors; 21.7 Lakers) and made (18.9 Warriors; 17.3 Lakers) more free throws than the Lakers. That free throw disparity is something to look out for during the series, as those easier opportunities for points can add up, especially in the playoffs.