NBA Play-In Tournament: 3 subplots to watch in Warriors-Lakers

1 of 4

Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Taking a closer look at 3 subplots to watch in the NBA Play-In Tournament game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.

Heading into the NBA’s inaugural Play-In Tournament, there wasn’t a more anticipated matchup than the one between the 7th-seeded Los Angeles Lakers and the 8th-seeded Golden State Warriors. This is a matchup that has a bit of everything, including two of the league’s biggest stars.

Despite the fact that these two storied franchises are playing for a playoff spot, this is a game that features many subplots in it as well. And as the two teams prepare to face off against one another in a winner-take-all environment, you can’t help but feel that some of the subplots will carry much weight into the game as well.

Even though both of these teams are hoping that this play-in game is the start of what will eventually be a deep playoff run, this is the type of game that could propel or derail the next few weeks for them – or even conclude their postseason.

Ahead of this anticipated matchup between the Warriors and the Lakers, we explore three subplots that deserve some extra attention heading into tonight‘s action.