PREVIEW: The Golden State Warriors host the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center without Steph Curry or Jimmy Butler, and with Kristaps Porzingis listed as questionable after missing three straight games with an illness. The Lakers arrive at 34-24, losers of three straight, having dropped games to a Celtics team missing Jayson Tatum, a Magic squad without Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, and a Suns team operating without Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks. Los Angeles has the firepower to cover for dysfunction, with Luka Doncic averaging 32.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.6 assists per game and the ageless wonder LeBron James remaining a very dangerous force. Meanwhile, the Warriors just went into Memphis two nights ago and posted 133 points on 37 assists, with 8 of 9 players scoring in double figures led by a career-high 21 points from rookie Will Richard. This Warriors team has spent February being elite in assist percentage and assisted basket rate, building something cohesive and joyful in the wreckage of a catastrophic injury report. Steve Kerr confirmed reports were misinformation and expressed genuine optimism that Porzingis could return, as his presence would suddenly give Golden State a legitimate interior force who changes the calculus on both ends. The Warriors sit at 31-28 and are fighting for playoff positioning while the Lakers hold a three-game lead in the West. A victory here tightens the race and sends a message that the next month is going to be far more interesting than anyone anticipated.