"LOS ANGELES - With ESPN's national broadcast cameras rolling, celebrities lining courtside seats and LeBron James starting at forward for Los Angeles, Saturday night's Warriors-Lakers showdown at Crypto.com Arena had all the extraneous trappings of what has long been the Western Conference's premier matchup. That was, except for one half of the reason the NBA world has been captivated by the rivalry. Steph Curry, the leading star of three champions that beat James' teams in the finals, missed his third consecutive game with runner's knee."
"With Curry relegated to cheering, the Warriors lost 105-99 to the Lakers. Moses Moody scored a team-high 25, while Pat Spencer poured in 14 in his second consecutive start. Gary Payton and Brandin Podziemski combined for 27 off the bench. James put in 20 points and dished out 10 assists for the Lakers, while Rui Hachimura put up 18 points and Austin Reaves had eight assists off the bench."
"Given the missing superstars, the lack of offense was understandable. The Warriors led just 42-41 at halftime after Spencer, celebrating his new contract, sized up James and buried a midrange jumper over the league's all-time leading scorer. The Lakers led the undermanned Warriors 89-88 with six minutes left in the fourth quarter but a quick 11-0 Reaves-led run helped create separation."
Steph Curry missed his third consecutive game with runner's knee, and the Warriors fell 105-99 to the Lakers. Moses Moody led Golden State with 25 points while Pat Spencer added 14 in his second straight start. Gary Payton and Brandin Podziemski provided 27 combined off the bench. LeBron James finished with 20 points and 10 assists; Rui Hachimura scored 18 and Austin Reaves contributed eight assists in a key fourth-quarter run. Several teams were undermanned, with Luka Doncic ruled out and Kristaps Porzingis watching from the bench ahead of an expected post-All-Star break debut.
Read at The Mercury News
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