The Los Angeles Lakers visit the Golden State Warriors on Friday night to open NBA Cup group play, with the Lakers favored by 3.5 points and drawing heavy betting action. The 10 p.m. ET tip-off at Chase Center marks the second game of an NBA on Prime Video doubleheader and pits Pacific Division rivals in a Group C that also includes San Antonio, Portland, and Sacramento.
Previous Meeting and Lakers' Offensive Surge
The teams opened the season on Oct. 21 in Los Angeles, where the Lakers rolled to a 127-105 victory. Luka Doncic led the way with 28 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in three quarters, while center Walker Kessler made a historic Lakers debut, shooting 12-for-12 from the field for 26 points and nine rebounds — the second-most perfect shots in franchise history behind Wilt Chamberlain's 14-for-14 in 1969. Stephen Curry paced Golden State with 23 points.
Rookie Sensation Yaxel Lendeborg
Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg, the No. 11 overall pick out of national champion Michigan, has quickly become a storyline. After a quiet 12-point debut, the 24-year-old has averaged 22.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists over his first five games. He is the first rookie since Curry in 2010 to record at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a game, achieving the feat in just his fifth career game. Lendeborg joins Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, and Shaquille O'Neal as the only lottery-era rookies with 85+ points and 35+ rebounds in their first four games, and only he and Victor Wembanyama have reached 100 points and 40 rebounds in their first five games since 1993.
"His composure. I mean, he just came off of an NCAA championship run," Curry said. "He's just got composure, feel. His size on the court; he's a matchup problem. He's never really in a hurry and he's starting to see the pictures really well." Coach Steve Kerr added: "The addition of Yaxel, and the ability to kind of do what Jimmy does — slow the game down, be fouled, create shots for himself or others — it's a game-changer for us." Lendeborg's Rookie of the Year odds have shortened from +2800 post-draft to +280, second behind Cameron Boozer (+240), and he leads all rookies in betting action at DraftKings over the past week.
Lakers' Winning Streak and Doncic's Scoring Lead
Los Angeles has won four straight games in the series overall and four straight at Chase Center. Doncic, who sat out Wednesday's game at the Clippers, will play Friday. He leads the NBA in scoring at 36.0 points per game, ahead of Anthony Edwards (33.3). With Doncic in the lineup, the Lakers have scored at least 125 points in each of their first four games for the first time in franchise history. His points over/under is set at 34.5. Curry and Doncic are tied 9-9 in regular-season head-to-head matchups.
NBA Cup Group C Outlook
In Group C, the Spurs are -110 favorites to win the group, followed by the Lakers at +340 and the Warriors at +1400. To simply advance, Los Angeles is +185 and Golden State +650. Each group winner plus the best second-place team in each conference earns a wild-card spot.
In the other game of the doubleheader, the Miami Heat host the Indiana Pacers, who are without injured guard Tyrese Haliburton.
