8:35 pm
October 27

Lakers @ Spurs

Who will WIN this matchup?

Los Angeles Lakers (2-3)

@ San Antonio Spurs (2-2)

 

Current odds:

Los Angeles Lakers: (-115)

San Antonio Spurs: (-105)

 

• The line for the game is Los Angeles by 1 point.

• The Los Angeles Lakers have won consecutive games and attempt to reach the .500 mark when they visit the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. LeBron James recorded 28 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists as the Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets 121-114 on Thursday.

• The Spurs suffered a 116-96 home loss to Indiana on Wednesday and coach Gregg Popovich was displeased that the Pacers were 17-of-32 from 3-point range in their easy win. “We have a lot of work to do on both ends of the court, and we know that, especially defensively,” Popovich told reporters afterward. “We’re defensively challenged, so to speak. Until we figure it out, there’s a lot of habits that have to be formed.”

• Second-year point guard Lonzo Ball scored in double digits in four straight games and had a solid all-around game against Denver by recording 12 points, eight assists, six rebounds and five steals. “He was causing havoc, getting his hands on balls, reading plays, coming in and rebounding,” coach Luke Walton told reporters of Ball. “He’s a big-time game-changer for us when he’s playing aggressively like that.” Second-year small forward Kyle Kuzma scored 22 points against the Nuggets for his second-highest output behind the 37 he tallied against the Spurs earlier this week.

• San Antonio has typically been one of the better defensive teams in the NBA but the club is allowing 121.8 points through four games. There are some new parts in the mix – including shooting guard DeMar DeRozan – but the poor results have been alarming to Popovich and the players. “Communication things, understanding spots, understanding tendencies, understanding terminology,” DeRozan told reporters of what the team needs to work on. “It’s kind of a little bit of everything. It’s a new group, we still haven’t gotten rolling offensively like we want, and defensively as well. So, once we get both them two things clicking, we’re going to be all right.”

• Los Angeles will be without SF Brandon Ingram for the fourth and final game of his suspension for his actions in an incident with the Houston Rockets last Sunday, while PG Rajon Rondo has completed his three-game suspension and will be back in action.

4/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
San Antonio Spurs
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