Projected Lakers starting lineup, Warriors starting lineup for Game 3

After winning Game 1 behind a dominant display from Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers were unable to extend their series lead to two games over the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors did exactly what they needed to do and ran the Lake Show out of the building in Game 2.

Now this series heads to LA and it is a great opportunity for the purple and gold to grab a chokehold. The Warriors were 10-31 on the road in the regular season while the Lakers have the best home crowd in the playoffs right now. There is a world in which the Lakers ride this momentum to a 3-1 lead, much like the Memphis series.

It is a huge game for both teams and the Lake Show cannot allow the Warriors to regain home-court advantage by winning in Game 3. Here are the lineups that the two teams will likely trot out on Saturday evening.

Projected Lakers lineup vs Warriors:

• D’Angelo Russell
• Austin Reaves
• Jarred Vanderbilt
• LeBron James
• Anthony Davis

This is the starting lineup that the Lakers have run out in every game during the NBA Playoffs and it does not look like it is going to change for this game. However, you definitely could make the case that it should change.

Austin Reaves has struggled this series on both ends of the floor, especially when it comes to the Warriors’ off-ball movement around screens. The Lakers might be better off benching Reaves and instead using him as a heat-check scoring option off the bench that can swing the end of the first and third quarters.

As of now, there is no indication that Darvin Ham will go in that direction but it will be interesting to see close to game time if he does make that change.

Projected Warriors starting lineup vs Lakers:

• Stephen Curry
• Klay Thompson
• Andrew Wiggins
• Draymond Green
• Kevon Looney

This is the starting five that the Warriors have trotted out and this actually changed by surprise shortly before Game 2. Kevon Looney was feeling under the weather so he played limited minutes off the bench (and still out-rebounded everyone on the Lakers).

If Looney still isn’t feeling up to speed and isn’t going to start then you can cycle his spot in the starting five out for JaMychal Green, who started in Game 2. Draymond Green then essentially shifts to the small-ball five, which worked a lot more than it should have against AD.