Curry scores 50 to help Warriors advance to Lakers in second round

The Warriors defeated the third seeded Sacramento Kings in game 7 of their first round series 120-100. Stephen Curry scored a game-high 50 points and, on top of that, had six assists and eight rebounds in a game 7. The series was back and forth. The Kings had their moments, but the Warriors overcame their struggles on the road to advance to the second round where they will meet the Los Angeles Lakers.

2nd Round: Warriors vs Lakers

The Warriors are the betting favourites heading into this series at -167 on Betway, and the Lakers are +140 underdogs. The Warriors have had a tough time dealing with LeBron James outside of Kevin Durant’s years with the Warriors. However, at this point of his career, could Stephen Curry be the best player in this series? It’s possible. However, Anthony Davis and James are still two of the best players in the league and will have an opportunity to prove that they are Curry’s equals.

The past Curry vs James series were arguably more about team play than individual greatness by a couple of players for the winners. In 2015, the shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers lost in six games to the Warriors in the NBA Finals. In 2016, a healthy Cavaliers team came back from a 3-1 deficit to win the title. In 2017 and 2018, the Warriors with Kevin Durant swept James and defeated his team in five games. Both teams have depth, but the Lakers will be relying heavily on players who recently joined the team. Most of the players in the Warriors rotation have been with the organization for years.

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South Florida knocked 'em both out in the first round 😎 pic.twitter.com/lrTetdTAKS

— ESPN (@espn) May 1, 2023

The Los Angeles Lakers

Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura were key contributors in the Lakers first round series win. Reaves averaged 16.5 while Hachimura gave the Lakers 14.5 a night in the series. D’Angelo Russell was the team’s third highest scorer in the series, averaging 16.7 points per game. Russell had 31 points in the closeout game. The Lakers bench will probably need to play well this series for their team to have a chance because James is older and Davis has had trouble with injuries, so he might not be physically capable of carrying the team on a nightly basis.

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the second seeded Memphis Grizzlies in six games in round one. The Lakers will not have home court advantage, but James’ teams have had success as the lower seed throughout his career. Anthony Davis’ health will play a big role in this series. If the big man can stay healthy, the Lakers should have a chance.  The Lakers defeated the Warriors in the NBA Play-In Tournament in 2021 and were 3-1 against the Warriors during the regular season.

The Golden State Warriors

The Warriors look like they have their championship roster back and ready to defend their title. After missing over 40 games during the regular season, Andrew Wiggins averaged 18 points per game in the first round against the Kings. And Gary Payton II returned to the Warriors’ rotation after being traded back to the team. This Warriors roster has experience winning a championship together that the Lakers don’t have, they even have the same head coach, Steve Kerr.

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With @ThompsonScribe at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/BJA1HZrBek

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 1, 2023

After his 50 point game against the Kings, it’s safe to say Stephen Curry is still playing at an elite level. A lot of people had questions about Klay Thompson at the beginning of the season, but he put an end to much of the debate by averaging 21.9 points during the regular season. There are still a couple of concerns about the Warriors. Can the Warriors consistently win on the road during the playoffs and do their stars have enough left in the tank to make a run at a fifth championship? The Warriors are also favourites to win game one on NBA betting sites.

All odds are subject to change