Can the Lakers even the season series?
The Los Angeles Lakers are number one in the West at 24-6 but will head to the game having lost three in a row. They lost twice with either LeBron James and Anthony Davis sitting out and one against the Milwaukee Bucks, where Giannis Antetokounmpo blasted them with five three-pointers.
As you may remember, the Lakers also lost to the LA Clippers in their season debut last October, 112-102, and shot just 7-for-22 in the fourth quarter.
Still, the Lake Show should storm out tomorrow playing like they are not in a slump. A good part of the losing streak may have been due to the team gearing up for the much-anticipated match-up.
Considering how critics are continuing to downplay the hot start because of a light schedule in November, LeBron James (25.8 PPG, 10.6 APG) and Anthony Davis (27.9 PPG, 2.7 BPG) should play with a great sense of urgency. Earning a win tomorrow will be one of their biggest wins of the season.
James sat out the previous Laker game with a thoracic muscle injury, but Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN has shared that he should be playing tomorrow.
The effectiveness of the supporting cast will also play a role, especially since LeBron will call their numbers early and often. Defensively, the swingmen will have the unenvious task of containing Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
The Lakers are 10-3 on the road and they are top five in points allowed (104.9 PPG) and defensive efficiency.
Shaky but confident as ever
The 22-10 LA Clippers are in a bottleneck within the second, third, and fourth spots in the Western Conference. It’s pretty much due to the pair of unexpected losses against two inferior teams this week – Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder.
Like the Lakers, the Clippers should be entering the ballgame with no trace of the recent stumbles. The rotation is pretty deep defensively, and the team’s four main players are all well-equipped on both sides of the ball.
Kawhi Leonard (25.5 PPG) and Paul George (24.2 PPG) are combining for almost 50 points per game, and with Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell backing it up with over 19 PPG apiece, the foursome is scoring over 76% percent of the Clippers’ points (88.5 of the 115.7).
The Clippers showed poise and discipline in the season-opening victory against the Lakers. They started out slow, raced into a 40-point second quarter, laid low in the third, and then came alive again in the final frame again by going plus 10 in points and holding the Lakers to just 31.8%-shooting in the quarter.
PREDICTION:
Anthony Davis will be featured a lot and should score more than the 28.5 point line set for him, but after a good back-and-forth, the Clippers make the series two-zip with a 113-108 win.
