LOS ANGELES -- If divine intervention is real, then in all of God’s immaculate power, we would be blessed with a Los Angeles Lakers-Golden State Warriors playoff series.
Why? Because that’s what the world deserves.
Better yet, it’s what we need.
It’s a showdown of marquee names, tailor-made for primetime and worthy of a playoff series on the national stage. Thursday night offered just a glimpse of that potential, as the Warriors claimed a 123-116 victory over the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.
We need one more LeBron James vs. Steph Curry playoff showdown for old times’ sake.
The two reminded us just how elite they remain, even in the later stages of their careers. Curry torched the Lakers with 37 points, three rebounds and six assists, while James countered with 33 points, five rebounds and nine assists.
At one point, it turned into a duel of one-upmanship that only two of the greatest could deliver — a thrilling third quarter where they went back and forth, trading buckets. James poured in 14 points, only for Curry to answer with 16, edging him out yet again.
The battle continued in the closing minutes, with both stars drilling three-pointers, nearly giving Kevin Harlan a coronary on the TNT call.
With Curry gutting through a lingering back issue — one he seemed to tweak again after hitting the floor — and James still playing at an elite level but creeping further up the list of the league’s oldest players, it’s unclear how many more of these matchups we have left.
We deserve at least a few more games in the playoffs.
Additionally, this was the first matchup featuring the newly paired co-stars in Los Angeles and San Francisco — Luka Dončić and Jimmy Butler. The two were traded to their respective teams just days apart in early February, and this was their first meeting with their new squads.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the greatest performance for Dončić, who managed 19 points on 6-of-17 shooting. After the game, he called his performance “unacceptable.” Butler wasn’t much of a factor either, finishing with just 11 points.
We deserve a more extensive look at the magic Dončić can create and the playoff brilliance Butler is known to bring.
Beyond the marquee names, a playoff series would provide more opportunities to witness the continued rise of Austin Reaves as a legitimate third option for the Lakers, as well as the relentless, battle-tested presence of Draymond Green filling that same role for the Warriors.
Reaves was phenomenal against Golden State, finishing with 31 points — 20 of which came in the fourth quarter on an impressive 6-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. At one point, he single-handedly trimmed a double-digit deficit for most of the night down to six, giving the Lakers the slimmest of chances until the final horn.
And with Green, as has been the case throughout his career, he was the catalyst for the game's physical, competitive edge. Hard fouls were exchanged, including one where Green brought both arms down on a driving James, sending him to the deck. There was constant back-and-forth chirping between Green and James, between Green and Doncic and, at times, between Green and just about everyone on the Lakers.
These elements make a matchup compelling — and it's exactly what we deserve.
It was a game of, "What more could you ask for?"
A clash between two of the top teams in the Western Conference, each battling for a favorable playoff position that could determine home-court advantage. Heading into the night, the Lakers held the third seed while the Warriors sat at sixth — meaning if the season had ended right then, they would have been first-round opponents.
Of course, the season's final weeks will bring endless shifts in the standings.
But after this game, the Lakers slipped to the fourth seed, while the Warriors climbed to fifth — bringing them even closer to a potential postseason collision. It’s starting to feel more and more like fate. While there's no guarantee they’ll meet in the playoffs, the idea alone is thrilling.
The current NBA standings as of Friday, April 4. - NBA.com.
What makes it so enticing is that this game was must-see TV from start to finish. The competitiveness was unmistakable, with both teams fighting for something tangible as the postseason looms. It had an intensity that not every regular-season matchup carries — it felt like playoff basketball.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr even acknowledged the heightened stakes before tipoff, saying, “It does feel like a playoff game.”
After the game, Doncic echoed that sentiment: “It obviously felt like a playoff game. Obviously, the Warriors — since they acquired Jimmy — they’ve been playing unbelievable. So it was kind of a playoff game, and now we see what kind of team they are.”
Doncic even planted the seeds for a potential postseason showdown, adding that the Lakers “just need to be more ready.”