Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins reportedly is unlikely to play against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night due to a personal matter.
Wiggins was not at Golden State’s practice on Tuesday.
Hopefully everything turns out well for Wiggins regarding the personal matter, but his absence is big for the Lakers, especially since the Warriors are expected to be without Stephen Curry (leg) as well on Thursday.
This season, Wiggins is averaging 17.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from beyond the arc.
A crucial part of Golden State’s title run last season, Wiggins has developed into one of the team’s best perimeter defenders.
Injuries have slowed Wiggins this season, as he’s played in just 37 games so far for Golden State. A one-time All-Star, Wiggins scored 12 points and added five rebounds in the Lakers’ 109-103 win over the Warriors on Feb. 11.
Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson will likely be relied on to carry the offensive load for Golden State on Thursday night if Wiggins sits.
Every game down the stretch of the 2022-23 season is crucial for the Lakers, who are currently the No. 13 seed in the Western Conference.
Golden State (No. 9 in the West) is also in the play-in tournament conversation, so this game is important for both sides in terms of the standings. The Lakers and Warriors actually matched up in the play-in tournament in the 2020-21 season, and Los Angeles came away with the win, earning the No. 7 seed that season.
Even though the Lakers are four spots behind Golden State in the standings, they are just 2.5 games behind them in a crowded Western Conference.
Just six games separate the No. 3 seeded Sacramento Kings from the No. 13 seeded Lakers, meaning the Western Conference standings could shake up in a huge way once the league resumes regular season play following the All-Star break.
The Lakers and Warriors are scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. PST on Thursday night from Los Angeles.
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