With two games to play, the Lakers (4-0) are now in the semifinals, where they will compete against the Golden State Warriors (3-1) on Saturday. Los Angeles looks to stay undefeated in Las Vegas en route to the finals.
Start time and TV schedule
Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors
When: 5:30 p.m. PT, July 18
Where: Thomas & Mack Center
Watch: Prime Video
The Lakers’ undefeated record will be tested on Saturday against, ironically, the only team that has defeated them this summer in the Warriors.
Yes, the same Golden State team that dominated them in their first California Classic game this summer. Since then, much has changed for the purple and gold and it’s going to be interesting to see whether or not they can avenge their only loss this summer.
The fourth-seeded Warriors will be led by their 11th overall pick in Yaxel Lendeborg, who has been fantastic all summer. The rookie from Michigan is averaging 16 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.4 steals across five games. This matchup will be headlined by Lendeborg and Cameron Carr.
Speaking of Carr, he’s been nothing but excellent and consistent for the Lakers. The best part about this is that he’s been garnering a ton of help from his teammates, specifically from the likes of Adou Thiero, Arthur Kaluma and Chris Mañon. The Lakers’ biggest advantage in this game will be their depth and collectivity.
The Warriors are a very good shooting team, so slowing down their perimeter production will be key. Besides Lendeborg, Los Angeles has to contain LJ Cryer, who is coming off a strong performance versus the New York Knicks. That should be manageable given how superb and physical the Lakers’ defense has been under coach Ty Abbott.
As long as the Lakers continue creating quality looks on offense while getting balanced production from their key contributors, they’ll have a strong chance of punching their ticket to the Summer League Finals. Expect this one to be a competitive game between Pacific Division rivals and whoever wins will certainly have bragging rights.
Let’s hope it’s the Lakers as they aim to stay undefeated on Saturday.
Notes and Updates
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There are no injuries to report from either side.
You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.
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