NBA

Warriors Make Easy Work of Lakers, 108-90, as They Look to Secure No. 1 Seed

DeMarcus Cousins scored 21 points, and the Golden State Warriors made easy work of the Los Angeles Lakers, 108-90.

The envious man grows lean at the success of his neighbor.

The Lakers are growing leaner by the minute, while their neighbors to the north, the Warriors, grow fat with championships.

Granted, the Lakers are one of the most decorated franchises in NBA history, but the Warriors are the dynasty of this decade, and everyone is envious of their success.

Thursday was evidence of this, as two teams headed in entirely different directions met on the court at Staples Center.

DeMarcus Cousins scored 21 points, and the Golden State Warriors made easy work of the Los Angeles Lakers, 108-90. 

The Warriors are currently the number one seed in the Western Conference, and are seeking to win their fourth championship in five years. 

LeBron James knows what it takes to be a champion. He's won the title three times, and has played these very Warriors in the Finals in four consecutive seasons. He signed with the Lakers in the summer of 2018 in the hopes of turning Tinseltown back into Titletown.

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However, things haven't gone according to plan in James' first season with the Lakers. The 34-year-old was relegated to cheerleader on Thursday as he sits out the final four games of the regular season.

Without four of their five starters from the beginning of the season, the Lakers had no chance against Golden State, as the Warriors cruised to an easy wire-to-wire win.

"I think the game came too easily for us," said Warriors' head coach Steve Kerr. "In the first quarter we were scoring at well, they couldn't make anything and we got up big."

Despite both Klay Thompson and Steph Curry shooting a combined 6-of-25, the Warriors still went up by 28 points in the first quarter, and led by as many as 34 in the second half. 

"They smacked us in the mouth the first couple minutes of the game," said Lakers' forward Johnathan Williams. "They got up to 10, to 20, to 30, and the next thing we knew, we were fighting for our lives."

Cousins had a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds. Curry finished with seven points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. 

"Games like tonight, you have to come out with a good effort in the first quarter," said Curry of the victory. "Find a way to establish your dominance and let that carry the rest of the game."

Kevin Durant had 15 points, Draymond Green chipped in 12, and Quinn Cook added 16 off the bench. 

"They've been playing together for three years now, and winning championships together for three years now," said former Warrior and current Lakers' center JaVale McGee. "Their camaraderie, especially in the starting five is crazy. They have so many weapons in their starting five, it's kind of hard to find any weaknesses." 

Williams led the Lakers with 17 points off the bench. Rajon Rondo finished with 12 points on 5-of-15 shooting.

"We played extremely hard and didn't look up at the scoreboard," said Williams of how the team was able to keep going after going down by such a large margin to start the game. "When you're out there playing, you're not really thinking about the fact that those guys are All-Stars, or my role models, you just go out there and try and beat them because they're not wearing a Lakers jersey."

The Warriors shot 40 percent from beyond the arc, compared to just 22 percent for the Lakers. Golden State has gone 19-5 against the Lakers since 2013.

Passing Wilt the Stilt 

Klay Thompson passed Wilt Chamberlain for eighth place on the Warriors' all-time minutes played list. 

Notes and Next

LeBron James (groin), Lonzo Ball (left ankle), Josh Hart (knee surgery), Brandon Ingram (shoulder), Reggie Bullock (plantar fasciitis), and Tyson Chandler (flu) all missed the game for the Lakers.

Los Angeles will conclude the "Battle for LA," when they take on the playoff-bound Clippers on Friday at Staples Center. 

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