On a six-game winning streak
The Los Angeles Lakers have won six in a row and still sitting comfortably atop the Western Conference standings with a 23-3 record. They just earned a big 113-110 victory on the road, where they delivered the Miami Heat’s first home loss of the season.
LeBron James (28 points and 12 assists) and Anthony Davis (33 points and 10 rebounds) each recorded a double-double, with LeBron engineering a second-half rally after a turnover the ball over seven times in the first two quarters.
The King had identical numbers in the Lakers’ 122-101 win against the Atlanta Hawks last November 18th (33 points and 12 assists), and he’ll look to have the same impact. Davis, meanwhile, should come out more aggressively on offense as he went just 5-for-14 for 14 points in that meeting.
The supporting cast will stay confident for this match-up. Five other players reached double figures the last time around – Kyle Kuzma, Rajon Rondo, Danny Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Alex Caruso.
The Lakers are yet to lose outside of Staples Center this season. Their one “road” loss was in the same arena, when they were regarded as the road team against the LA Clippers.
Tied for the worst record in the East
Losers of three in a row and 13 of their last 15 games, the Hawks have dived into the depths of the East standings. They are now 6-20, tied with the New York Knicks for the worst record in the conference.
Trae Young had 31 points and seven assists in that aforementioned loss to the Lakers weeks back. He was the only consistent Hawk in that game but he too got shackled by the defense as he also committed eight turnovers.
Young’s (27.7 PPG, 8.6 APG) main cohorts in scoring will continue to be Jabari Parker (16.1 PPG) and rookie DeAndre Hunter (12.8). It’s not a good trio, as evident in the team’s record, but Hunter’s continuous improvement is encouraging. He’s at 16 PPG across the last three weeks and has two 20-plus point games in his last three outings. Such a development could mix in well with the return of John Collins, who only has four games left to serve in his suspension.
The Hawks are only 3-9 at home. They also own one of the worst defenses in the league, ranking 29th and 28th in points allowed and defensive efficiency, respectively.
PREDICTION:
The Lakers should have no problem winning this game. They win, 116-106.
They should take note of the Hawks’ tendency to be streaky, though.
