Lakers-Warriors Play-in Tournament: Who Will Win?

The playoff picture for both conferences in the National Basketball Association (NBA) is nearly complete. Nearly.

Topping the Western Conference standings and owning the best record for the first time in franchise history are the Utah Jazz, who finished with a 52-20 slate. Meanwhile, the race for the final two spots is still on. The Los Angeles Lakers will enter the play-in tournament as the seventh seed and face the Golden State Warriors. That is despite finishing the 72-game schedule with a five-game winning streak.

What makes the play-in tournament extra special this year?

The one on the Western Conference will feature three of the best players of this generation: Anthony Davis and LeBron James for the Lakers, and

Steph Curry for the Warriors. Nobody predicted this match-up to happen in a play-in tournament. Pundits and fans alike predicted the Lakers to finish in the top four of the West. At one point, some said that the Warriors would miss the playoffs.

And yet, here we are.

The bigger question is: Who will formally get the seventh seed in the playoffs and a date with the Phoenix Suns in the first round?

In terms of the "on-paper" talent, the defending champions, Los Angeles Lakers, have the advantage. Despite Anthony Davis and LeBron James missing a big chunk of the second half of the regular season due to injuries, having their two stars healthy again is a big boost for the Purple and Gold. The Lakers won two of their three games against Golden State this season, and in both wins, the Lakers didn't have Anthony Davis in the line-up.

On the other side of the fence, the Warriors will rely on the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award candidate and this season's scoring champion, Steph Curry. For the season, Curry averaged 31.8 points, five rebounds, and five assists in 62 games. And Curry isn't the lone bright spot in San Francisco.

The Warriors also have Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre, Jordan Poole, and James Wiseman. And yes, Draymond Green will be a vital piece for the Warriors if they want to score an upset on Wednesday (Thursday Manila time).

Draymond Green averaged six points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and 1.7 blocks during the 2020-2021 regular season.

Who will win on Wednesday?

The Lakers.

If they can find a way to contain Steph Curry. Then again, stopping Curry from making those ridiculous shots from outside only does half the job. The Lakers still need to score consistently and, that's something that they struggled doing during the final stretch of the season.

The Warriors.

If they can find a way around the twin tower of Anthony Davis and Andre Drummond in the shaded area. And someone can limit LeBron James. Then again, it's easier said than done. Why?

LeBron James, aged 36, averaged 25 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in 44 regular-season games.

We can only be sure about one thing: It's going to be an exciting match-up between LeBron James and Steph Curry.

Photo is from NBC Sports