Curry scores 37 as Warriors beat Lakers in playoff preview

LOS ANGELES: Stephen Curry recorded 37 points in the Golden State Warriors Thursday night 123-116 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

After losing the first three games of the regular season series, the Warriors were finally able to triumph over the Lakers in the fourth and final game before the two teams head into the playoffs. After securing the lead late in the first quarter, the Warriors never lost it.

Two new career highs in threes made were set by Austin Reaves and Brandin Podziemski. The Lakers guard made nine of his 16 shots from deep on his way to 31 points. His previous high in threes was seven, which he made in two separate games in 2024. Podziemski had one less with eight, however, the 22-year-old guard shot an incredible percentage from three, missing only two of his ten attempts. His previous high in threes was set just a few days ago at the end of March, when he made seven against the San Antonio Spurs. He added a total of 28 points to the Warriors total, along with eight rebounds and six assists.

Stephen Curry hit four shots from deep on a 36.4 per cent clip from three. He made 10 of his 21 field goal attempts, which along with his 13 made free throws, brought his total for the night up to 37 points, the largest of the game.

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Jonathan Kuminga made his return after suffering a pelvic contusion in last month’s game against the Spurs, and added 18 points to the Warriors total, along with nine rebounds and four assists. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody added 11 and 13 points respectively.

LeBron James led the Los Angeles Lakers with 33 points, making a total of 10 field goals, five of which came from deep, as well as eight free throws. The 40 year old also had a team high nine assists. Rui Hachimura had the third highest score for the Lakers with 24, while Los Angeles’ newest star, Luka Doncic, had just 19. Doncic struggled from deep all game, unable to make even one his six three-point attempts. He only scored six of his 17 field goal attempts.

The game may serve as a preview of the Western Conference playoffs, as the two teams are currently set to collide, with the Warriors occupying the fifth seed currently, while Los Angeles sits comfortably at fourth. If the two teams keep their current positions, they will face off in the first round of the playoffs. However, there are still plenty of games until the regular season ends on April 13. The Warriors, Grizzlies, and Timberwolves are all tied with 45 wins, with only one less loss putting the Warriors above the over two. The Clippers in eighth can easily improve as well, only lagging behind the other three by one win.

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