The All-Star break is over, and the push for the playoffs is underway. The Golden State Warriors had a massive opportunity to gain ground in the standings as they took on the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center on Thursday night.
Los Angeles is currently seated at the 9th seed, with Golden State hot on their tail at 10th. With Lakers' superstar LeBron James out due to an ankle injury, the Warriors were able to take advantage to get an important 128-110 victory.
Stephen Curry led the way as the Golden State Warriors continued their momentum in a strong win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday
A 17-5 close to the first-half propelled Golden State to an 11-point lead at the main interval. That advantage was never truly threatened as Los Angeles head coach Darvin Ham threw up the white flag by pulling his starters with over five minutes left in the fourth. The win is the Warriors ninth in their last 11 games, so let's look at three key takeaways from the win:
Closing Strong
The Warriors took control of the game thanks to the huge 17-5 run to end the first-half. That was highlighted by seven points from Stephen Curry, a pair of threes from Brandin Podziemski, and a nice tip-in by Andrew Wiggins at the buzzer. It felt like a vintage Warriors flurry to end the half, and it allowed them to take control of this game and never look back.
They would also finish the third-quarter on a 9-2 run to give them a comfortable 16-point lead heading into the fourth. It was reminiscent of old Warriors teams who closed strong and often broke the back of their opposition.
Yeah Wiggs 🚨
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) February 23, 2024
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Curry Continues Hot Streak
Curry had been on a tear leading into the All-Star break and it continued against the Lakers on Thursday night. The two-time MVP tallied 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting in the first half alone, including five made threes in seven attempts. It was Curry's 142nd time making at least five threes in a half. Next closest? Klay Thompson with 68. It's another insane shooting record that Curry holds.
The 35-year-old would finish the night with 32 points in just 32 minutes. Another great night for #30.
Rotation Issues Ahead?
It was announced before the game that Chris Paul could be back as early as next week on the Warriors' upcoming road-trip. While this is great news, coach Steve Kerr is going to have some questions to answer regarding the rotation.
It aready seems hard to find minutes for young guys like Trayce Jackson Davis and Moses Moody. The additions of Paul and Gary Payton II (who was out with illness) will make this even more challenging. Then there's the recent playing time and contract we’ve seen for Lester Quinones who continues to provide an option towards the end of the roster. While it’s good to have such a deep team, Kerr's in an unenviable position on some of the decisions he must make moving forward.