LeBron James and the Lakers will meet Stephen Curry and the Warriors in the play-in tournament on Wednesday night. The winner of the game will advance to the main draw of the postseason, with the loser playing the winner of Wednesday’s Spurs-Grizzlies game.
How Does the NBA Play-In Tournament Work?
James and Curry met for four straight years in the NBA finals, between 2015 and 2018, but James has subsequently changed teams. Curry’s supporting cast also is vastly different than it was throughout his franchise’s title runs.
How to Watch:
- Date: Wednesday, May 19
- Time: 10 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPN
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
Despite James and forward Anthony Davis missing extended parts of the regular season, the Lakers finished the regular season No. 1 in defensive rating. Los Angeles, however, was just No. 23 in offensive rating and 42-30 overall.
The Warriors present similar strengths and weaknesses, with the team finishing No. 5 in defensive rating and No. 20 in offensive rating. They finished the season with a 39-33 record.
2021 NBA Play-in Tournament Predictions
Curry enters Wednesday’s game after becoming the NBA’s scoring champion for the second time in his career. Curry and Michael Jordan are now the only players in NBA history who have won a scoring title after turning 33 years old. He also joined Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players in NBA history to win multiple scoring titles, MVPs and NBA titles.
James, who played in just 45 games this season due to injury, praised Curry for his stellar season, saying the Warriors star was the league’s MVP in his mind.
While Wednesday’s game won’t eliminate either team, James has previously voiced criticism for the format.
Whoever came up with that s— needs to be fired,” James said after loss in early May.
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