Golden State Warriors vs LA Lakers: Injury Report, Predicted Lineups and Starting 5s - May 19th, 2021 | NBA Play-In Tournament 2021
The Golden State Warriors and LA Lakers will headline the NBA Play-In Tournament slate for Wednesday night. The two sides will clash to determine who'll qualify for the playoffs as the seventh seed in the Western Conference.
The Golden State Warriors played some of their best basketball to conclude the regular season. They won six games in a row to finish with a 39-33 record. Steve Kerr's men also had the best defensive rating and net rating in the league in May. The Warriors will be led by Stephen Curry, who won the scoring title this year and averaged 35.8 points in his last 10 outings.
The LA Lakers, too, carry some form into the play-in tournament on Tuesday. Despite struggling for the majority of the last six weeks of the season, the Purple and Gold won five straight and finished in the seventh spot. Injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis have caused the Lakers a great deal of trouble, but they'll be hoping to look beyond that in the postseason.
Golden State Warriors Injury Report
The Golden State Warriors don't have any fresh injuries to report, but they'll continue to be without Kelly Oubre Jr., who's dealing with a wrist injury. Oubre is likely to be re-evaluated in a week and there's a good chance that he'll be missing the rest of the campaign.
Damion Lee has cleared the health and safety protocols, but he's yet to regain full match fitness. He's been ruled out for tonight's game against the LA Lakers. Klay Thompson (torn Achilles tendon) and James Wiseman (meniscus tear) have already been sidelined for the rest of the season.
LA Lakers Injury Report
LeBron James struggled with his right ankle in the final moments of the LA Lakers' last regular-season game against the New Orleans Pelicans. King James has seemingly recuperated from that niggle and is listed as probable for tonight's encounter against the Golden State Warriors.
LeBron's partner-in-crime Anthony Davis is questionable with a right shoulder sprain, though. Davis has dealt with several nicks and bruises since returning from his calf injury rehab. AD should be able to play through his shoulder issue on Wednesday.
Golden State Warriors vs LA Lakers: Predicted Lineups
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors will be spearheaded by Stephen Curry in the backcourt, with Kent Bazemore slotting alongside him. Andrew Wiggins has been in good touch since the All-Star break and will continue as the starting small forward. Draymond Green and Kevon Looney will complete the starting lineup.
Jordan Poole will be the Warriors' main scorer off the bench. Both he and Mychal Mulder will continue to play extended minutes in the absence of Kelly Oubre Jr. Meanwhile, Juan Toscano-Anderson will supplement the team with his defensive solidity.
LA Lakers
A full-strength starting five should be on the cards for the LA Lakers on Wednesday night with Dennis Schroder and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope starting in the backcourt. The duo will be joined by LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the frontcourt, with Andre Drummond slotting in at center.
Alex Caruso and Montrezl Harrell will contribute on the defensive and offensive ends respectively off the bench, while Kyle Kuzma will look to impress with a two-way performance. Talen Horton-Tucker could also chime in with a few plays.
Golden State Warriors vs LA Lakers: Predicted Starting 5s
Golden State Warriors
Point Guard - Stephen Curry l Shooting Guard - Kent Bazemore l Small Forward - Andrew Wiggins l Power Forward - Draymond Green l Center - Kevon Looney
LA Lakers
Point Guard - Dennis Schroder l Shooting Guard - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope l Small Forward - LeBron James l Power Forward - Anthony Davis l Center - Andre Drummond
Also read: Golden State Warriors vs LA Lakers Prediction and Match Preview - May 19th, 2021 | NBA Play-in Tournament 2021