The NBA’s most entertaining matchup, Stephen Curry versus LeBron James, met for the third time in the 2023–24 season. The Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers are the two bottom teams in the West, trying to settle for a play-in berth.Â
Coming off a loss, both teams knew how important this game was going to be. With the current standings in place, the Dubs and the Lakers will meet in the play-in tournament.Â
Fans got a glimpse of how interesting their matchup would be, as this game was one to watch. The Warriors were up one following the first half, with Jonathan Kuminga leading the team.
The second half was a constant back-and-forth until the Warriors maintained their lead. With a minute and a half left, the Lakers were down by seven when Stephen Curry played a locked-down defense on James, resulting in a steal.
This was one of the highlights of the game, as fans stood up to watch the two greatest players have a one-on-one possession. Steph’s defense was indeed tough, cutting off James’ moves to secure possession. The Warriors won 128-121.Â
Curry finished the game with 31 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while only shooting 30% from three. On the other hand, James dropped a 40-bomb, along with eight rebounds and nine assists.Â
Stephen Curry has a lot on his shoulders
To make the postseason, Curry will have to take most of the load, similar to the game against the Lakers. While there’s a pretty good chance that Steph will be facing James and company, going up against the Dallas Mavericks could also be the case.
Regardless, the Warriors have struggled without Steph on the floor, and without the flow he provides on the offensive end, the Dubs will be in trouble.
LeBron James moving to the Golden State Warriors to team up with Stephen Curry (Image via GSW/X)The two-time MVP just turned 36 and is in a crucial position to make the playoffs. It’s not only Curry’s dominance that matters, as Golden State lacks size in the paint. Having a rather small ball lineup was the very reason for the loss against the Lakers in the Conference Semi-Finals last year.Â
For the Dubs, Kuminga has been the young energy, but the squad can’t rely on the 21-year-old for their rebounds. to see how Curry and the Warriors manage to take redemption if they take on the Lakers in the play-in tournament.Â
JK is averaging over four rebounds a game, whereas their only big man, Trayce Jackson-Davis, has also contributed the same. Stopping Anthony Davis, James, or Rui Hachimura in the paint can be a problem for the Dubs. It will be interesting to see how Curry and the Warriors manage to find redemption if they take on the Lakers in the play-in tournament.Â
