Shaquille O’Neal’s career in the NBA will always be associated with the Los Angeles Lakers, but he isn’t picking his team to win in the Play-in Tournament against the Golden State Warriors.
“They’re gonna beat the Lakers if they play against the Lakers in the Play-in,” the legendary NBA big man told Adam Lefkoe during the The Big Podcast.
At the time of this writing, the Lakers and the Warriors are on pace to face each other in the No. 9. vs. No. 10 Play-in Tournament game. The Lakers are currently ninth in the standing with a 45-35 record while the Warriors are 10th with a 44-35 ledger. Both teams can still move up to at least the No. 7 spot depending on how the rest of the regular season plays out for them, the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, and the Phoenix Suns. In any case, the Lakers and the Warriors have at least a game to play past the regular season.
Golden State Warriors’ Remaining Games in the 2023-24 NBA Regular Season
Stephen Curry and the Warriors have three more games left on the calendar. They will play their final road game of the regular season this Thursday night against a very beatable Portland Trail Blazers before playing the final two games at home against the Pelicans on Friday and the Utah Jazz on Sunday.
Should the Warriors and the Lakers end up facing each other in the Play-in Tournament, which is a distinct possibility, Golden State seems to have the advantage based on the head-to-head results in the regular season. The Warriors have defeated the Lakers three times in four meetings this season, including the 134-120 victory in La La Land last Tuesday.
