The big names came out to play in Los Angeles on Thursday night, but it was a pair of young Golden State Warriors who proved just as important to help deliver the visitors a huge 123-116 win over the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.
In a game featuring Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, LeBron James and Luka Doncic, it was Brandin Podziemski who was the story in the first-half with 22 points and six rebounds that included going 6-of-7 from beyond the arc.
Podziemski's wild near half-court buzzer-beater lifted the Warriors to a 60-47 lead at half-time, and while the Lakers continued to make a push down the stretch, they never regained the lead in another classic matchup between Curry and James.
Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga were huge against the Lakers
After drilling a then career-high seven threes against the San Antonio Spurs two games ago, Podziemski shone under the bright lights and went one better with eight on 10 attempts in the seven-point win.
The 22-year-old guard had 28 points, eight rebounds and six assists in arguably the best game of his career, but he wasn't the only young Warrior to make a statement with now just six games remaining in the regular season.
After missing Tuesday's win over the Memphis Grizzlies due to a pelvic contusion, Jonathan Kuminga delivered his best performance in a while with 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes off the bench.
BRANDIN AT THE BUZZER ‼️ pic.twitter.com/688cZbeNVp
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) April 4, 2025
While Podziemski and Kuminga were huge in the first-half, the crowd got what it wanted in the second as Curry and James delivered another epic battle. Curry finished with 37 points, three rebounds and six assists, which included getting to free-throw line on 14 occassions.
James nailed five threes on his way to 33 points, while the Lakers superstar also added five rebounds and nine assists. Austin Reaves had nine threes and 31 points for the hosts, but they were playing uphill in the second-half as Curry kept them at bay.
Butler was quiet with just 11 points, but seven of those came in the fourth as he seemingly overcame an arm issue. Doncic was also below hist best for the Lakers, with the Warriors keeping the Slovenian star to just 17 points on 6-of-17 shooting and 0-of-6 from beyond the arc.
Draymond Green was inefficient offensively with five careless turnovers, yet came up with a couple of huge defensive plays late to ensure the Golden State victory and help strengthen his Defensive Player of the Year case.
The Warriors retain hold of the fifth-seed and now have the chance to draw closer to the three-seed Denver Nuggets when they return to Chase Center and host the 2023 NBA champions in the second night of a back-to-back on Friday.