This season’s rivals week has already thrown up some brilliant matchups and its conclusion will be no different, with a California derby between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors providing the curtain call on Saturday.
The rivalry in question is not between the teams, however, as it is the battle between two of the NBA’s best players over the past decade or so, LeBron James and Stephen Curry, which heads the billing.
The Lakers, who look set to avoid the play-in and head straight to the playoffs, will fancy their chances against the struggling Warriors.
Steve Kerr’s side are currently 11th and may not have a postseason whatsoever and LA can justify favoritism at the Chase Center.
With the Lakers fifth in the Western Conference ahead of Saturday’s games and the Warriors down in 11th, it is unsurprising to see the Los Angeles outfit come into this cross-California clash as favorites.
That is a tag they are fancied to justify, too, as they are the form side coming into the match, going 6-4 over their last 10 games with the Warriors managing only four wins in the same period.
The Warriors will be hoping home advantage can provide them a much-needed boost, but a modest 12-11 record on their own patch, combined with the fact the Lakers won at the Chase Center on Christmas Day, suggests even that will not be enough to stop JJ Reddick’s side from securing the win.
Golden State’s issue is they are too reliant on Curry. Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green are decent players, but Kerr could do with another star to ease the load on the veteran guard.
The Lakers, meanwhile, have two superstars in James and Anthony Davis, while also boasting a decent supporting crowd, with Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent all capable of providing valuable contributions.
That depth could prove to be the difference in San Francisco, with the Lakers taken to get the win.
Despite now being 40 years old, James remains one of the NBA’s best players and is still the most recognizable face in the sport.
The Lakers star’s dedication to staying at the peak of his game has seen him adapt his playstyle over the years, with a recent transition over the past few seasons seeing his playmaking ability grow.
That has made double-doubles a regular facet of his game as not only is he capable of grabbing double figures in rebounds and points, but also assists too.
With his years of experience - James was drafted in 2003 - it is no surprise that the 21-time all-star relishes big games, especially against the Warriors, who he notoriously led the Cleveland Cavaliers to victory over in the 2016 NBA Finals.
James has registered a double-double in three of his last four games against the Warriors - the exception saw him miss out by a single assist.
He has notched at least 30 points in each of his last five meetings with Golden State, suggesting another big night is in store from the King.
The Lakers’ defense will be heavily focused on stopping Curry, who put up a stunning 38 points in the sides’ Christmas Day meeting, which could open up space for another Warriors guard, Moses Moody.
The young Golden State guard has hit a hot streak and he should continue that form against the preoccupied Lakers.
Moody has scored at least 11 points in five straight games and, with the additional space he should be granted at the Chase Center, he should continue his hot streak by notching at least 10 on Saturday.
While Moody may be able to benefit from the Lakers’ focus on Curry, it seems unlikely that the vastly more experienced Buddy Hield will do the same.
Hield, once one of the NBA’s sharpest shooters, has seemingly lost his eye for knocking down threes.
Despite regularly knocking down 40 percent of his threes throughout his career, the Warriors guard made just 30.5 percent of his shots from beyond the arc in December and that figure has only slightly risen to 32.2 percent this month.
Hield has managed over 2.5 three-pointers in just two of his last six games and went 0-5 from beyond the arc in his last appearance.
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Los Angeles Lakers | -120 ML |
Golden State Warriors | +150 ML |
Spread | LA -1.5 |
Total Points | O/U 219.5 |
Stephen Curry (GS Warriors) | O/U 25.5 |
Anthony Davis (LA Lakers) | O/U 23.5 |
LeBron James (LA Lakers) | O/U 22.5 |
Andrew Wiggins (GS Warriors) | O/U 18.5 |
Austin Reaves (LA Lakers) | O/U 17.5 |
Rui Hachimura (LA Lakers) | O/U 11.5 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.