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Stephen Curry missed the Golden State Warriors’ previous game against the Utah Jazz due to the team wanting to get him some extra rest before the final week of the regular season. Ultimately, the Warriors didn’t need Curry against the Jazz, as they won 118-110 behind Klay Thompson’s 32 points. Now, Steph Curry and the Warriors enter Tuesday staring down a very important matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers, one that could pave a late-season path to climbing out of the 10-seed in the Western Conference standings.
The Lakers currently lead the Warriors by 1.5 games for the 9-seed in the West. A win over Los Angeles not only puts Curry and Co. a half-game behind the Lakers, but this win would momentarily give them the season tiebreaker over their in-state rivals. The Warriors do have an easy schedule to close out the year, so there is a possibility that they could claim the 9-seed or better ahead of the play-in tournament should they be able to get past the Lakers on Tuesday night.
This is why Steph Curry’s status in this game is so important. Although he sat out their previous game, all signs point towards Curry being ready for this critical matchup with Los Angeles.
Steph Curry status vs. Lakers
In order to have any chance of winning their way to a playoff spot, the Warriors are going to need Steph Curry at 100 percent. That was the main reason for resting him against the Jazz the other night, as Curry looked like he could use a day off both physically and mentally. Curry is no longer on the injury report, and he is re-entering the fold in a pivotal matchup against the Lakers.
Should the Warriors lose this game, they will be locked into a play-in tournament spot and likely have to win two straight road games in order to claim the 8-seed in the Western Conference. In doing so, they may then have to face the defending champion Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.
A win against the Lakers solves a lot of problems for the Warriors. They still keep their outside hope of landing the 6-seed in the West alive, and the ability to move up to either the 7-seed or 8-seed in the conference remains a factor. This would be a much better scenario for Curry and the Warriors, as a one game, winner-take-all scenario in the 9-seed vs. 10-seed game against either the Lakers or Sacramento Kings doesn’t sound appealing whatsoever.
The Warriors are going to be the road team against the Lakers on Tuesday night, a position that they have shockingly found a lot of success in despite their road struggles a year ago. Golden State is currently 23-16 on the road this season, and they have won seven of their last 10 games away from Chase Center, including a win in Los Angeles against the Lakers.
Curry, who is once again among the league leaders in scoring, has dominated the Lakers this year. In their previous three matchups this season, Curry has averaged 36.3 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 18-of-44 (40.9 percent) from three-point range.
Although Anthony Davis and LeBron James are questionable, both All-Stars are expected to play against the Warriors in this critical game. Golden State forward Andrew Wiggins, who missed two straight games with a left ankle sprain, is also expected to play, with Curry set to return on Tuesday night.
More must-reads:
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