Lakers at Warriors
The Golden State Warriors have won eight consecutive games since being routed by the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 4 and now get two opportunities to exact revenge. Golden State hosts the Lakers on Wednesday before visiting Los Angeles on Friday to conclude the home-and-home set as it looks to deliver payback for the humbling 117-97 defeat earlier this month.
Former Golden State assistant Luke Walton will be at Oracle Arena for the first time as a visiting coach, and his new squad is above .500 after Tuesday's 111-109 home victory over Oklahoma City. However, Los Angeles will be without improving second-year point guard D'Angelo Russell (knee), who didn't make the trip and will sit out for the third time in four games. Golden State has been red-hot over the 2 1/2 weeks since the loss in Los Angeles and is averaging 120.6 points during its eight-game winning streak. Small forward Kevin Durant is averaging a team-leading 26.9 points and has settled in with his new teammates.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles), CSN Bay Area (Golden State)
ABOUT THE LAKERS (8-7): Los Angeles certainly would like to have Russell matched up against Stephen Curry, but Walton is listening to the team doctors and isn't interested in putting Russell in jeopardy of a more serious injury. "If he can't go out and play without any restrictions, it's not really worth having him out there right now," Walton told reporters. "He's too young and his future is too bright to risk that." The Lakers posted their victory over Oklahoma City in dramatic fashion as guard Nick Young drained the decisive 3-pointer with five seconds remaining to cap his 17-point performance.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (12-2): Shooting guard Klay Thompson wasn't able to get his usual quota of good outside shots early in the campaign, but he now is in full rhythm after averaging 27.3 points over the last three games. Thompson has scored 25 or more points in four of his last five games and connected on at least three 3-pointers in each of the last seven contests. "He's a professional shooter," Curry told reporters about his fellow Splash Brother. "There's no two ways around it. It's the same process - getting in the gym, getting shots up, never losing confidence and sticking with it."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Lakers have won their last two clashes with the Warriors after Golden State captured the previous four.
2. Durant failed to reach 20 points for the second time this campaign as he tallied a season-low 14 in Monday's 120-83 drubbing of Indiana.
3. Los Angeles veteran PG Jose Calderon scored a season-best 12 points while filling in for Russell on Tuesday and also is expected to start against the Warriors.