The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers will square off at the Chase Center on Thursday for headline action in the 2024-25 NBA Christmas/Boxing Day schedule.
Both teams are looking to rebound from disappointing home losses, and only one will leave the court with their spirits lifted, while the other faces a humbling second straight defeat.
Golden State’s struggles continued Tuesday as they fell 111-105 to the Indiana Pacers, just days after snapping a three-game losing streak with a 113-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Despite a strong offensive showing in the first half – recording their second-highest scoring half in the last 12 games – the Warriors couldn’t overcome an eight-point deficit at the break.
A third-quarter rally wasn’t enough, and they fell short down the stretch.
Jonathan Kuminga led the charge with a career-high 26 points off the bench, but the Warriors missed the scoring presence of Stephen Curry, who struggled with just 10 points on 2-of-13 shooting.
The defeat marked the Warriors’ 10th loss in their last 13 games, leaving them at 15-13 and eighth in the Western Conference, just below the Lakers, who have a game in hand.
Thursday’s matchup continues a fierce rivalry between the two teams. The Warriors and Lakers have combined for fireworks in their recent meetings, with four competitive matchups in 2024 averaging a staggering 257.5 points, including a 145-144 thriller in January. Golden State has won the last three contests, adding confidence to their bid for another victory.
On the other side, the Lakers are looking to bounce back after a 117-114 loss to the Detroit Pistons at the Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday.
Despite recovering from an early deficit, the Lakers dropped each of the final two quarters to fall to their third home loss of the season.
LeBron James, nearing his 40th birthday, was the standout performer, recording 28 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his eighth triple-double of the season.
After a mixed December with five wins and five losses, the Lakers are hoping to build some consistency in their push for playoff positioning.
Currently sixth in the West, they trail the Los Angeles Clippers and are in need of a strong finish to the year.
Thursday’s game marks their final road trip of 2024, with two home games against the Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers on the horizon.
In terms of injuries, the Warriors have just one concern: Gary Payton II is out due to a calf issue, having missed the Pacers game.
Draymond Green and Moses Moody, both of whom were dealing with injuries, returned to play on Tuesday and are expected to feature in Thursday’s game.
For the Lakers, Jarred Vanderbilt is sidelined with a knee issue, and won’t return until early January. Jaxson Hayes (ankle) and Christian Wood (knee) are also out but could return as soon as next week.
D’Angelo Russell is a major doubt with a hand injury sustained in the loss to Detroit, while Jalen Hood-Schifino is battling a hamstring problem.