Kawhi Leonard is back, and even though he's still rounding into form, his return has been transformative for the Los Angeles Clippers. It's been a small sample size, but early signs indicate the presence of the two-time Finals MVP entrenches the team among the Western Conference elites.

Boston’s starting five is finding cohesion, and its defense stifled Golden State. The Celtics’ ability to stay consistent will be tested against the Clippers, who sit fifth in the Western Conference standings and sport a 15-7 record at the Intuit Dome.

The Golden State Warriors on Wednesday withstood Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 52-point outburst to beat the Western Conference leading Thunder 116-109.

The Golden State Warriors withstood Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 52-point outburst to beat the Western Conference leading

The Lakers and Clippers have moved into the top 10 of the NBA power rankings and are beginning to look like true contenders.

For most of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers have remained relatively healthy when it comes to the availability of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Unfortunat

Given that schedule, the Celtics also chose a cautious approach with several of their veterans. Jrue Holiday (shoulder), Kristaps Porzingis (illness) and Al Horford (big toe) all were ruled out against the Clippers after being listed as questionable.

Quinten Post gets introduced to one of the NBA's biggest rivalries when the Golden State Warriors host the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night in San Francisco.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was named to his 21st NBA All-Star Game on Thursday, the most in league history. At age 40, James enters Saturday's contest against the Golden State Warriors averaging 23.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.9 assists in 39 games this season.

The Golden State Warriors are hosting the Los Angeles Lakers for the second time this season after losing their first encounter on Christmas day. On Christmas,

Stephen Curry's sister, Sydel, got his back as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander flexes against the Warriors star on Instagram.

Los Angeles Lakers (24-18, fifth in the Western Conference) vs. Golden State Warriors (22-22, 11th in the Western Conference)