Going (46-29) and (44-31) respectively into the game, both the Lakers and Warriors had something to prove. The Lakers were fighting to hold their playoff position while the Warriors were clawing their way up the standings. Well, from the tip-off, you could feel the heat! The final score? A 123-116 win for Golden State, dropping the Lakers back to the No. 4 seed. While LA shot 45.3% from the field, most of their success came in the fourth quarter: too little, too late. Meanwhile, the Warriors torched them from deep, knocking down 9 of 42 threes.

And Steph Curry? Did anyone really expect anything less from him? After dropping 52 points in Memphis, he followed up with 37 more in LA. While he only hit four of his 11 threes, his timing was everything. He scored 13 straight points in the third quarter, then nailed clutch free throws to seal it in the fourth. Did he need help? Absolutely, and Brandin Podziemski stepped up big time.

But here’s where things got interesting. While Curry did his thing, Austin Reaves and Podziemski quietly stole the spotlight in their own way. Reaves had a rough middle stretch but went absolutely nuclear in the fourth, finishing with 31 points. On the other side, Podziemski was cooking from the start, dropping 22 points in the first half alone. Their battle caught the eye of Matt Barnes, who couldn’t help but sum it up in the most Matt Barnes way possible: “White on white crime… These two were cookin tonight.”

And if that sounds familiar, it’s because Barnes has been on the Reaves hype train for a while. He’s even called him “white boy magic” before. With performances like this, it’s no wonder the Lakers refused to trade him. Could Reaves be the X-factor the Lakers need in the playoffs? We’re about to find out.

Luka Doncic receives a wake-up call while he eyes the playoffs

Luka Doncic didn’t wait for fingers to point. After the Lakers’ 123-116 loss to the Warriors, he looked inward first. “That performance from me was unacceptable,” Luka admitted post-game, clearly aware of the weight his role carries. For someone who usually delivers, ending with just 19 points on 6-of-17 shooting stung more than just the box score.

It wasn’t just about numbers, though. Luka’s six missed three-pointers told a bigger story—one of timing, pressure, and missed rhythm. And with only six games left before the playoffs, every possession feels heavier now. The Lakers are clinging to fourth place, with the Warriors and Nuggets breathing down their necks.

JJ Redick, the Lakers’ coach, backed Luka’s assessment but turned the spotlight on the team’s habits. “It was not what they were doing; it was what we were doing,” he explained. Redick wasn’t buying the idea that the Warriors shut them down. Instead, he pointed out how the Lakers tripped over their own feet: misplaced passes, poor spacing, and flat movement.

Golden State, on the other hand, looked locked in. “Since they acquired Jimmy [Butler], they’ve been playing unbelievably,” Luka noted. Even Butler, battling a forearm injury, toughed it out. When asked about tests, he shrugged it off: “Not yet. I think we all was really focused on getting this one.”

And while the media tried to draw LeBron James into a storyline about Draymond Green’s playoff comments, he kept it tight. “I got to worry about us,” LeBron said, clearly done with the distractions. The message? The Lakers aren’t panicking, but they’re listening. And with Luka owning his part, maybe that’s the start they needed.