The last leg of the ongoing NBA regular season is bringing with it the repeat of a highly anticipated faceoff as the Los Angeles Lakers (45-34) will soon be going up against the Golden State Warriors (43-35) at the Crypto.com arena in California. The game is a crucial one for both teams, as they currently occupy the 9 and the 10 seeds respectively on the Western Conference chart. Going below their current positions would disqualify them from the Play-In Tournament while going above it would improve their standing during the same. Given the importance of the upcoming matchup, both teams will be looking to utilize their best scorers, LeBron James and Stephen Curry, to put up a better offensive front than their rivals. Given that both players were not available during their team’s recent matchup, however, speculation has arisen about whether the rivals will choose to make themselves present during the highly anticipated encounter.
LeBron James was initially listed as ‘questionable’ before his team’s final clash against the Minnesota Timberwolves. This status was granted to the player by considering his left ankle tendinopathy. However, with just a few more hours remaining until both teams met at the Crypto.com arena, sports reporter Shams Charania revealed that the player had been ruled out “due to flu-like symptoms”. As a result, the Lakers had to face off against the No. 2 Eastern Conference team without their main star. This proved to be a disaster, as the LA team ended up losing the game through a score of 127-117. Flu symptoms can vary from time to time, with some being so severe they could cause the Lakers star to not leave out of bed for a prolonged period. However, there has been no official confirmation on the severity of the flu, and there is a full day’s gap before the player would be required to come face-to-face against the Warriors.
While the flu symptoms are a worrying factor in itself, another thing to take into consideration is the player’s ankle injury. Despite extensive treatment of it, LeBron’s tendinopathy had forced him to miss out on two games back in March. While his absence from the Timberwolves clash would have given his ankle a much-needed rest, it can be hardly guessed when the injury will start acting up again.
Stephen Curry, whose Warriors had earlier managed to win 6 of their last 7 games, was expected to bring his team back on track after their close loss to the Mavericks. However, before the game, ‘The Athletic’ reporter Anthony Slater took to his X account to highlight that the player has been ruled out since “The Warriors are resting him.” Fortunately for Curry, his team had managed to hold their own without the absence of their lead scorer. With the help of Klay Thompson and other scorers, the Warriors pulled off an impressive win against the Utah Jazz through a score of 118-110.
Knowing the high stakes that await them, the Warriors need Curry in his best form. Until a further update is provided on his ‘rest’ status, it can be assumed that the 10x NBA All-Star will be present to take on one of the most adverse rivals on their home turf.
LeBron James’ stats vs Warriors; Stephen Curry’s stats vs Lakers
In the six years that he has been a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James has clashed against the Stephen Curry-led Golden State Warriors 10 times and vice versa. The games have been some of the most anticipated ones for NBA fans and enthusiasts since many reporters have placed them among the most popular franchises. LeBron and Curry may know this as well, which is why they put their best foot forward during the matchups.
During his 13 clashes, LeBron has managed to secure an average score of 27.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 7.8 assists to his name. His shooting capabilities have been on par with his higher-than-usual average, with his field goal percentage standing at 49.8% and his field throws at 72.8%. Stephen Curry isn’t that far behind with his performance, having averaged 26.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists during his 10 clashes. True to his reputation as reportedly one of the best shooters in NBA history, Curry has successfully averaged a field throw percentage of an eye dropping 96.4%. His 43.3 field goal percentage, however, is slightly below that of his rival.
Surprisingly, the W/L record between the two teams evenly stands at 5-5. Their two previous clashes this season were some of the best that the world of the NBA had come to witness. Their second most recent game, which took place back in January, went into double overtime as LeBron dropped a triple-double score of 36 points, 20 rebounds, and 12 assists triple-double while Curry led with his 46. Both players displayed an equal level of production during overtime, as Curry dropped 15 while LeBron finished with 12. The Warriors star’s offensive prowess came to light during the game as he was leaving players like Anthony Davis downright confused. When he dribbled through the lane as Davis chased him, Curry left onlookers astonished as he swiftly changed his direction, went past the 31-year-old, and dropped a two-pointer with just 5.9 seconds on the clock. If that isn’t proof of how exciting a clash between the two titans can be, then what is?
