Preview: Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors

The Lakers (5-7) host the Golden State Warriors (8-4) on Friday night at Staples Center.

After the Lakers’ surprising opening-night win over the Clippers, the Warriors quickly brought the Lakers down to earth with a 125-94 trouncing in Oakland on Oct. 30.

The Warriors’ Stephen Curry recently suffered a concussion in a win over the Utah Jazz. His status against the Lakers is still up in the air.

Key matchup

Andre Iguodala may start at point guard for Curry or at small forward. Either way, he’s a difficult player to deal with.

The athletic guard/forward is averaging 13.5 points a game on 55.7% shooting from the field and 47.8% from three-point range. Iguodala is also dishing 6.3 assists per game, just one fewer than the Lakers’ leader, Steve Blake (7.3).

While Blake isn’t quite averaging double figures (9.8 per game), he’s contributed at least 10 assists a night over the last four games, helping the Lakers win two of them.

Blake is also a valuable outside threat for the Lakers, shooting 46.4% from three-point range.

If Curry starts for the Warriors, he becomes their biggest threat at 19.9 points a game with 8.7 assists. If he doesn’t play, the Lakers need to worry most about Iguodala as the driver of Golden State’s offense.

X-factor

Even with Curry and Iguodala, the Warriors have double-figure scorers in David Lee (17.4 a night) and Harrison Barnes (11.4).

That still doesn’t account for Golden State’s leading scorer, Klay Thompson, who is averaging 20.6 points a game while shooting 52.5% from the field and 48.8% on three-pointers.

Thompson opened the season with 38 points against the Lakers on 15-for-19 shooting. If he repeats that feat, the Lakers are in for another blowout.

The Lakers need to continue to ride Jordan Hill, who has been a force both offensively and on the glass since his promotion to the starting lineup four games ago.

Golden State’s Andrew Bogut, a sold defender at center, will have a lot to deal with in the athletic Hill.

Outlook

The Lakers have a shot to beat the Warriors, even with Kobe Bryant (Achilles’ tendon) and Steve Nash (back) sidelined.

L.A.’s Chris Kaman didn’t practice Thursday with a sore back and is day to day.

The Warriors are also without Toney Douglas (leg), Jermaine O’Neal (knee and groin) and rookie Ognjen Kuzmic (hand).

If Curry doesn’t play, this would be the Lakers’ best chance to beat a depleted Warriors squad.

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Email Eric Pincus at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.