LA Lakers vs Golden State Warriors Prediction & Match Preview - March 15th 2021 | NBA Season 2020-21
The LA Lakers will be on the road on Monday to face the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center in an enticing 2020-21 NBA clash. After a scintillating 131-119 win against the Utah Jazz on Sunday, the four-time NBA champions will look to take down the defending champions in the two teams' third meeting this season.
In their last outing, Stephen Curry led the Golden State Warriors to a huge win when he made six of nine threes en route to scoring 32 points for the victors. They snapped a four-game skid just in time for their face-off with the LA Lakers, who have been hit with injuries and illnesses recently.
Since leading the standings early on this campaign, the LA Lakers have fallen on hard times since the injury bug hit them. Anthony Davis, Alex Caruso, Marc Gasol, Jared Dudley and Kostas Antetokounmpo will be unavailable for Sunday’s game.
While this gives the other players more exposure, it leaves the LA Lakers bench looking very thin, which gives the Golden State Warriors an opportunity to upset their more illustrious opponents.
Match Details
Fixture - LA Lakers vs Golden State Warriors | 2020-21 NBA Season.
Date & Time - Monday, March 15th; 10:30 PM ET (Tuesday, March 16th; 8:00 AM IST).
Venue - Chase Center, San Francisco, CA.
LA Lakers Preview
The 105-100 win against the Indiana Pacers on Friday did not come easy for the LA Lakers, who had to stage a late rally to avert another disastrous outcome. The beleaguered squad relied on Kyle Kuzma to carry them in the fourth quarter after the team struggled to score during the first three quarters. Defense is another problem they need to address.
The LA Lakers’ defensive rating, which may look gaudy at No. 1 (106.0) this campaign, has actually fallen off. For games played since February 16 (Davis’ first game out with an Achilles injury), their defensive rating (108.3) has been good only for fifth place.
The LA Lakers have lost seven of their last 11 games. When they face the Golden State Warriors on Monday, they have to regain their spunk at both ends of the floor, guarding 3-point shooters and managing their turnovers well.
Key Player - LeBron James
Everything begins and ends with LeBron James for the LA Lakers. With his All-Star teammate down for at least two more weeks, the four-time MVP has to step up his play and produce more for his team to win.
Unfortunately, that has not been the case in his last nine games (all without Davis) for the LA Lakers. James has produced almost exactly the same numbers as his season averages despite the team missing key players during that stretch of games. His scoring went up by just 0.4 (26), while his rebounds (7.6) and assists (7.4) took a slight dip from his season averages (7.9 and 7.8, respectively).
This isn’t to say that King James isn’t putting up elite numbers because he still is. But the fact is, more is required from him with so many of his LA Lakers teammates down. It remains to be seen if the four-time Finals MVP manages to up his performances by a notch, beginning with the Golden State Warriors game.
LA Lakers Predicted Lineup
G Dennis Schroder, G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, F LeBron James, F Markieff Morris, C Damian Jones.
Golden State Warriors Preview
The Golden State Warriors are coming off one of the most satisfying wins of their season. A double-digit win against the league-leading Utah Jazz was just the type of adrenaline rush the team needed after successive losses.
Currently ninth in the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors are still in the playoff hunt, courtesy of the play-in tournament. That gives them a fighting chance to make the postseason, but coach Steve Kerr would likely prefer to stay away from complicating their season further.
With the second half of the season heading into its second week, the Golden State Warriors will hope to stay healthy and have the entire squad at their disposal.
Their mettle will be tested when they meet the LA Lakers for the third time this season while playing in the friendly confines of Chase Center. That should fire up the Golden State Warriors to come out with energy from the opening tip.
Key Player - Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry has had to deal with the infusion of new teammates this season, and the transition has not been pretty for the Golden State Warriors. Nevertheless, the two-time MVP has been keeping the team afloat with his play night in and night out.
But high-scoring games from Curry haven’t always been good for the team. Over a six-game stretch in February, the three-time champion averaged 37.3 points per game, but the Golden State Warriors won only half of them. Incredibly, Curry's 57-point outing against the Dallas Mavericks turned out to be in a losing effort for the Warriors.
Contrast that to a recent three-game winning streak in which he scored an average of 30 points a night coupled with six rebounds and 7.7 assists. It means when the LA Lakers come to visit on Monday, the seven-time All-Star has to strike the right balance for his team to have a shot at winning the game.
Golden State Warriors Predicted Lineup
G Stephen Curry, G Kelly Oubre Jr., F Andrew Wiggins, F Draymond Green, C Kevon Looney.
Lakers vs Warriors Match Prediction
It is difficult to gauge where the Golden State Warriors are when it comes to facing the top teams in the league. At times, they look like world-beaters and championship contenders. At other times, they appear to be a team at the bottom of the standings.
The Golden State Warriors split their previous two meetings against the LA Lakers this season, with the latter taking their more recent encounter 117-91 at the Staples Center. This time, the Dubs will seek revenge for that lopsided defeat, but they'll have their task cut out.
As short-handed as they may be, the LA Lakers still boast having LeBron James, the 17-time All-Star, who has carried teams to the Finals ten times in his illustrious career. Nevertheless, this game could be hotly contested, but the healthier Golden State Warriors could come out with the win on Monday.
Where to watch Lakers vs Warriors?
The LA Lakers-Golden State Warriors game will be televised nationally on ESPN and locally on Spectrum SportsNet and NBC Sports Bay Area & California. The match can also be live-streamed with an NBA League Pass.
Also Read: LA Clippers 115-135 New Orleans Pelicans: 5 Hits and Flops.