The Warriors face the Lakers tonight with their season on the road.
Golden State is in a 3-1 gap however shall be enjoying in entrance of a house crowd at Chase Middle in search of to push issues within the Warriors’ favor.
The Recreation 5 officiating crew options some faces acquainted to Warriors followers. Zach Zarba, the crew chief, crammed the identical function within the Warriors’ NBA Finals-clinching win final yr in Boston, in addition to Recreation 2 of that collection.
The 20-year officiating veteran shall be joined on the ground by James Williams and Gediminas Petraitis. Rodney Mott is the choice and Jacyn Goble would be the replay official.
The Warriors and Lakers are each 5-2 all-time in playoff video games officiated by Zarba. Golden State is 5-1 in Williams-officiated playoff video games, whereas LA misplaced its solely sport postseason sport officiated by him. Petraitis has by no means officiated a Lakers playoff sport, and the Dubs are 1-1 in his postseason video games.
Officiating was a speaking level even earlier than this collection started, because the Lakers led the league in free-throw makes an attempt this common season, whereas the Warriors had been useless final.
Golden State had largely averted placing a lot public emphasis on foul calls till it misplaced Recreation 4 on Tuesday. Coach Steve Kerr pointed to Lakers gamers flopping — notably Lonnie Walker IV drawing a late-game foul on Draymond Inexperienced — within the sport that put the Warriors getting ready to elimination.