Los Angeles @ Golden State preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 21, 2019 ) Golden State 130, L.A. Lakers 111

The last time the Los Angeles Lakers played at the Golden State Warriors they earned a big win but also lost superstar LeBron James for over a month to a groin injury. James is finally back and will try to lead the Lakers to another win at Golden State when they visit the Warriors on Saturday.

James returned against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday and collected 24 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists in 40 minutes while leading the Lakers to a 123-120 overtime win. "I'm not feeling particularly great right now," James told reporters after the win. "Definitely ecstatic about being back out there with my guys and getting a great road win versus a team that we're kind of climbing in the playoff race. After being out five weeks, I'm feeling it right now. I wish I could click my shoes together and be home right now in my bed, but it was great to be back out there." The Warriors had an 11-game winning streak come to an end with a 113-104 loss to Philadelphia on Thursday as they returned home from a five-game trip and fell flat. "We kind of lost our energy and intensity and never really found it after that," center DeMarcus Cousins told reporters. "That's on us."

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC

ABOUT THE LAKERS (27-25): Los Angeles went 6-11 in 17 games without James to tumble from a team fighting for homecourt advantage in the Western Conference to out of the top eight. "The message for the team is we're all ready to make this push," James told ESPN. "That's it. Let's make that push. ... We're on the road. We're on the road for the whole month of February. We got two home games. So, if you want to make a push, why not make it on the road? That's the best time where you can come together as a team when you're on the road and it's just us. So, let's do it." The Lakers head east after Saturday and visit Indiana, Boston, Philadelphia and Atlanta before the All-Star break.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (36-15): Golden State will have something this time that it didn't during the 127-101 Christmas Day loss to the Lakers in the form of Cousins. The former All-Star made his season and team debut in the opener of the road trip and is fitting in quite nicely while averaging 13.8 points and 6.8 rebounds in 22.3 minutes through six games. "Obviously, I'm still not where I want to be," Cousins, who is recovering from Achilles surgery, told reporters. "I'm working my tail off every day to get back to being that player or better. This process isn’t over for me."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Lakers SF Lance Stephenson is 11-of-20 from 3-point range over the last four games.

2. Warriors All-Star SG Klay Thompson (illness) sat out Thursday and is questionable for Saturday.

3. Golden State blasted the Lakers 130-111 at Los Angeles on Jan. 21 and took eight of the last nine in the series.

PREDICTION: Warriors 125, Lakers 116