The Los Angeles Lakers host the Golden State Warriors in an extremely important Game 4 on Monday night. With a win, the Lake Show would take a commanding 3-1 series lead that would be very hard for the Warriors to climb out of. With a loss, the series would essentially become a best-of-three with two of the games being played in the Bay Area.
While there are still more games to be played and anything can happen, the outcome in Game 4 truly could determine what happens in this series. Luckily, the Lakers are already getting some help from the officials that are scheduled to call the game.
It is going to be a highly entertaining game and the stakes are going to be felt through the screen for the millions watching at home. Here are the starting lineups you can expect in this pivotal Game 4.
Projected Lakers starting lineup:
- D’Angelo Russell
- Austin Reaves
- Jarred Vanderbilt
- LeBron James
- Anthony Davis
Darvin Ham has not budged with his starting lineup despite having reasons to make changes. Austin Reaves has really struggled in this series and it might benefit the team to move him to the bench and allow him to be a heat-check scorer that steals the end of quarters.
That being said, there are some surprises that Ham had up his sleeve in Game 3 that he could replicate in Game 4. Lonnie Walker IV became a surprising member of the rotation and if he continues to hit shots then he could get minutes against this Warriors team.
If the Lakers win this game, regardless of how Reaves plays, then there probably won’t be any changes the rest of the series. However, if Reaves struggles and the Lakers lose then it might be time to shake it up.
Projected Warriors starting lineup:
- Stephen Curry
- Klay Thompson
- Andrew Wiggins
- Jamychal Green
- Draymond Green
This is the starting lineup that the Warriors have run out of the last two games as Kevon Looney is dealing with an illness that has caused him to get fewer minutes in the rotation. He is still playing more than Jamychal Green (who played 11 minutes in Game 3) but he is not starting.
If Looney is feeling better than the Warriors may revert back to that lineup for Game 4 of this series, changing this projection. However, there also seems to be a tactical element that Steve Kerr may still look to deploy.