Warriors vs. Lakers gamethread: No LeBron, but . . .

The Golden State Warriors host the Los Angeles Lakers at 7:30 p.m. PT on TNT. It won’t be an easy game for Golden State, as it pits their worst record in the conference against the Lakers’ best record in the conference.

Golden State is catching a break, as LeBron James is sitting out due to a sore groin. That makes the game a little bit more winnable for the Warriors, but let’s be honest: It’s still a long shot, especially since Anthony Davis is probable.

For the Warriors, perhaps the most exciting news is that Mychal Mulder has officially signed his 10-day contract, which means we’ll see an NBA debut from someone who’s spent a long time working for it. That alone is worth tuning in for (you can read my article on Mulder, a sharpshooter with a wild NBA journey, here).

If Steph Curry returns on March 1, as is the hope and plan, then this is the penultimate game before his return, which means don’t worry: more exciting basketball is on the way.

But until then, this is what we’ve got. So let’s enjoy it. It’s Thursday, after all; we can’t have expectations too high.