Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors will see the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals after beating the Sacramento Kings in Game 7 on Sunday.
Curry exploded for 50 points in the elimination game — an NBA record for points in a Game 7. The Warriors’ next challenge is a hot Lakers squad that is fresh off beating the No. 2 seed Memphis Grizzlies in six games — including a 40-point victory in Game 6. Curry knows that his Warriors will have their hands full.
“They’re playing unbelievable. All the pieces fit. It’s going to be a huge test for us,” Curry said after the game to ESPN’s Lisa Salters.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr echoed that sentiment from his superstar.
“The Lakers changed their team dramatically at the deadline,” Kerr told reporters on Sunday. “They’re excellent defensively, one of the all-time greats in LeBron.”
The Lakers started the season 2-10 but made a flurry of moves around the trade deadline to reshape their roster. LA has been one of the better teams in the league since, which showed against Memphis.
LeBron James gets to see his old nemesis in the Warriors, who he faced off with multiple times on the NBA Finals stage while with he was with the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s a matchup basketball fans are salivating for, getting to see two of the best players of their generation face off in Curry and James.
“They’re the two defining players of the 21st century,” Bill Simmons of The Ringer said on his podcast on April 12, referring to James and Curry. “I guess Kobe [Bryant], Kobe came in at ’96. Kobe’s probably there, too. But when you think like people who changed basketball in the 21st century, it’s LeBron and Curry.”
Mutual Respect Between Stephen Curry, LeBron James
GettyLeBron James and Stephen Curry practice together ahead of the 2022 NBA All-Star Game
Unlike the Lakers’ last series — which featured a hefty serving of disrespect from the Grizzlies — there’s mutual respect between the sides — especially the two superstars.
“We’re all witnesses to what Steph Curry has done in his career and the way that he’s changed the game,” James told reporters in 2021 when Curry was approaching the 3-point record. “He’s a once-in-a-lifetime basketball player.”
Curry has also heaped praise on James — a four-time MVP and NBA champion who recently became the NBA’s all-time scoring leader.
“It’s wild to think about how many games he’s played, how long he’s been doing it,” Curry said in 2022. “The longevity of it all is legendary. To be in that position where you’ve played that many games, you’ve been in so many different playoff runs, won championships and done it year after year, there is no real end in sight. That’s a pretty special accomplishment.”
Lakers Focused on More After First-Round Victory
The Lakers aren’t satisfied with just winning a series. LA is focused on winning a title and the Warriors are their next step.
“We’ve got a young ballclub with not much experience in the postseason,” James said after beating the Grizzlies. “So I try to give my knowledge about what I’ve been through, what they could expect.
“As hard as this series felt and as hard as this series was, it gets even harder when you move a level up.”
The Lakers won three of the four regular-season matchups against the Warriors. Golden State is a -165 favorite to win the series, per BetMGM.
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Steph Curry Sends Message on Lakers After Eliminating Kings