The Golden State Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 123-116 on Thursday night in a star-studded matchup with playoff seeding becoming increasingly important. Warriors star Stephen Curry came into Thursday’s game fresh off of a stellar 52-point performance against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday, and the hot streak carried over nicely.
The Lakers came out strong early and jumped to a lead before a 10-2 Warriors run would give Golden State a slim advantage at the end of the first frame. The Warriors dominated the offensive boards in the second quarter and extended their lead to double-digits by halftime.
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The Lakers made a strong effort to start the second half, led by a 12-point third quarter from LeBron James. Los Angeles would go on an 11-2 scoring run late in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to five, but Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler came up strong in the clutch on the defensive end to seal the victory.
Curry put up 37 points, three rebounds and six assists while Jimmy Butler had a quiet night with just 11 points and four rebounds.
James did all he could for L.A., he finished with 33 points, nine assists and five rebounds. Austin Reaves also finished with 31 points and six rebounds on 9-16 shooting from deep.
Curry has scored a ridiculous 89 points over the last 48 hours, and the Warriors are playing like contenders.
James Parker is an NBA writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
