Lakers vs. Warriors Preview: Can L.A. leave Las Vegas with a win?

At long last, the 2019 NBA Summer League season will come to a merciful end on Friday, at least for the Los Angeles Lakers. After losing to the New York Knicks in their first and only competitive game at the exhibition tournament in Las Vegas, the Lakers will play a consolation game against the Golden State Warriors on Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The Lakers got the best of the Warriors in their first matchup at the California Classic in Sacramento earlier this month, winning 100-90 thanks to a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Zach Norvell Jr., but they weren’t as lucky in their second meeting on Tuesday, losing 88-80. In fact, the Lakers have lost all four games they’ve played in Las Vegas thus far, and it’s doubtful their first win will come against a tough Warriors team on Friday.

The Warriors have gone 3-1 in Las Vegas, with their only loss coming against the Miami Heat, who are also 3-1. Carrying the load offensively for the Warriors in Las Vegas has been Jordan Poole, who the team selected with the No. 28 pick in this year’s draft. Through four games, the 20-year-old shooting guard is averaging 17.8 points on 40 percent shooting from the field in 29 minutes per game.

Given the lack of a reliable perimeter defender on the Lakers’ roster, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Poole have another big night on Friday. However, if Los Angeles can contain Poole, they might be able to end their Summer League season on a high note.

Unlike the Knicks, the Warriors don’t have the size to overpower the Lakers on either end of the floor. Expect Devontae Cacok to dominate on the boards whether Los Angeles wins or not. Through four games, Cacok is averaging 13.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. His effort earned him a training camp invite from the Lakers on Tuesday.

6-foot-7 forward Jordan Caroline should also be a focal point on offense for the Lakers. He leads the team in scoring with 14.7 points per game.

Tip-off will be at 1:30 p.m PT on NBA TV.

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