The Los Angeles Lakers had a fantastic finish to the 2023–24 season’s unofficial first half. Before the All-Star Break, Los Angeles won seven of its previous ten games, putting them in a strong position to move up the Western Conference standings.

The Golden State Warriors are another squad that finds itself in a predicament quite similar to that of the Lakers. After finishing the first half of the season on a high note, the Warriors are currently one spot behind the Lakers in the Western Conference rankings and are hoping to move up.

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Golden State might already be in the lead against the Lakers. Darvin Ham and LeBron James, Los Angeles’ two most prominent advocates, were absent on Wednesday, the day before the Warriors game. That’s never a good indication.LeBron James and Darvin Ham skip practice the day before the Lakers take on the Warriors.LeBron is traveling with the Lakers to the Bay Area, but he may not play. Ham is traveling with them to teach. LeBron is battling with a chronic ankle issue, and he won’t play if it hurts in an uncomfortable spot.

Even with LeBron’s greatness, the Lakers have managed to make it through this season without him. When the Lakers needed him, players like Rui Hachimura stepped up, and Anthony Davis has been outstanding. Nevertheless, LeBron’s absence is still a significant loss, particularly when playing a team that Los Angeles directly opposes.

It will also be fascinating to see how Wednesday’s absence of Ham affects Thursday’s game plan. Although the players don’t require more direct coaching like they would in high school basketball, it can still make a difference to take the two most powerful players off the squad before a crucial match.

This is a game that the Lakers must win, no matter what they have to endure. This particular game has the potential to determine whether the team advances to the playoffs or needs to go through the play-in round.