The Sacramento Kings have a chance this Thursday to extend their win streak to five games when they show up in Hollywood to play the Los Angeles Lakers for the fourth and last time in the 2022-23 NBA regular season. The Lakers have just snapped their three-game losing skid, and are now looking to gain some more steam. 

Catch this game live on Thursday, January 19, at 11:30 AM, Manila time

Away: Sacramento Kings (24-18/10-9 Away)

Projected Starting Five:

  • PG: De’Aaron Fox
  • SG: Kevin Huerter
  • SF: Harrison Barnes
  • PF: Keegan Murray
  • C: Domantas Sabonis

De’Aaron Fox and the Kings have handed their last few opponents a royal butt-kicking, as they’ve won all their last four games. They have won all their last four games, and in each of which they scored at least 132 points. In their most recent outing, the Kings whooped the San Antonio Spurs on the road, 132-119, to kick off the week the right way on Monday. 

With that performance, the Kings have now averaged 135.5 points over their last four outings, the highest in the NBA in that same span. The Kings’ high-scoring ways are unlikely to end this Thursday against the Lakers, who have a Swiss cheese defense that is allowing 118.1 points per game this season and had just given up 132 points to the Houston Rockets the other day.

That’s not to mention that the Kings are 2-1 SU (2-1 ATS) in three games against Los Angeles so far this season while averaging 129.3 points on 51.5FG% in those contests.

Home: Los Angeles Lakers (20-24/9-14 Home)

Projected Starting Five:

  • PG: Dennis Schroder
  • SG: Patrick Beverley
  • SF: Troy Brown Jr.
  • PF: LeBron James
  • C: Thomas Bryant

Say what you want about LeBron James, but the Lakers superstar can still put together an elite performance on any given night against any team. Last Tuesday, The King torched the Rockets for 48 points in a 140-132 victory. Granted that he did that against the lowly Rockets, scoring that many points at age 38 is still incredible. The Kings are a much tougher challenge for the Lakers than Houston, but Sacramento is also a team that has a punching bag for defense. 

The Kings are 25th in the NBA this season in adjusted defensive rating with 115.7 points allowed per 100 possessions. James can have fun toying with that kind of defense, though, it’s his supporting cast the Lakers are hoping to step up this time around. Take for example  Thomas Bryant, who can shake off his poor 6-point outing in the Rockets game by taking advantage of Sacramento’s flimsy defense which had just allowed Jakob Poeltl to smoke it for 23 points on 10/12 shooting. 

The Lakers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games after a win.

PREDICTIONS:

Spread: The Lakers (-4) cover the spread.

Over/Under: The total (245.5) hits the Under.