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The LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors square off Thursday at Chase Center. The Lakers lead the season series 1-0 after claiming a 145-144 double-OT win over the Warriors on the road on Jan. 27. Both teams struggled to stay above the .500 mark then.
The division rivals have raised their levels since, winning six of their last seven games before entering the All-Star break. With both teams still reeling in ninth and 10th positions in the Western Conference, Thursday's contest could have the same playoff-type atmosphere it did when the teams faced off in January.
LA Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors injury reports
LA Lakers injury reports for Feb. 22
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The Lakers' injury report has eight players. LeBron James (ankle), Jarred Vanderbilt (foot), Gabe Vincent (knee), Christian Wood (knee) and Maxwell Lewis (G-League assignment) are ruled out.
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Meanwhile, Anthony Davis (Achilles/hip) is probable. Cam Reddish and Max Christie, both dealing with ankle sprains, are questionable.
Golden State Warriors injury report for Feb. 22
The Warriors only have Chris Paul (hand) and Gary Payton II (hamstring) on their injury reports. Paul is out, while Payton is questionable.
LA Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors starting lineup and depth charts
LA Lakers starting lineup and depth chart for Feb. 22
The Lakers are expected to roll with the same starting lineup they had in their last game without LeBron James. D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves were in the backcourt, while Taurean Prince replaced LeBron next to Rui Hachimura and Anthony Davis.
Golden State Warriors starting lineup and depth chart for Feb. 22
The Warriors made tweaks to their starting lineup with a bold move to bench Klay Thompson. They are expected to stick with that decision. Steph Curry and Brandin Podziemski will start as the guards, while Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green will be in the frontcourt.
LA Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors key matchups
The Lakers-Warriors games are always a chess match because of the experienced players the teams boast. It's all about key matchups when the division rivals square off, and Thursday won't be any different.
The first key matchup is between Draymond Green and Anthony Davis. With LeBron James out, the Lakers' hopes of winning rely on Davis producing a master class. But Green is one of the better defenders against Davis. This matchup could be pivotal.
The other one is between the Lakers' defense against Steph Curry. LA didn't have a point-of-attack defender to guard Curry last time, and he went off for 46 points. Max Christie and Cam Reddish could be out, so the Lakers will need a team effort to ensure Curry doesn't have one of his most efficient nights.
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