Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers: Bold predictions for Christmas night

The Golden State Warriors face the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas night in a matchup that should provide plenty of excitement — especially if these bold predictions come true.

Christmas is upon us, which means we’re prepared to watch a number of awesome NBA matchups. The one we’re particularly interested in, though, is the one that’ll see the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers square off for Pacific Division supremacy.

This is the first game of the season between these two legitimate Western Conference contenders. Although many folks expected them to be miles apart in the competitiveness department, the Warriors come into Christmas night only two spots ahead of the Lakers in the standings.

Los Angeles, led by LeBron James and his band of rising stars, has been quite the surprise this season. Despite significant skepticism heading into October, they’ve exceeded expectations. Although much of their success has been due to James’ presence, there’s no denying they’re a team worth taking seriously.

Meanwhile, the Warriors have had an uncharacteristically up-and-down campaign. Injuries haven’t helped and inner turmoil has hurt on-court chemistry, but that’s not to say they can be shrugged off. Golden State is absolutely one of the top contenders in the West in 2018-19.

For now, though, let’s focus on Dec. 25’s war between two franchises with their sights set on postseason glory. One has more reason to be hopeful than the other, but that doesn’t mean the Lakers can be ignored in arguably the best Christmas night game of 2018.