The Los Angeles Lakers are back at home, where they will face the Portland Trail Blazers, looking to snap a three-game losing streak. They are ranked tenth in the NBA's Western Conference, while their opponents are ranked thirteenth.
The Lakers will be relieved to get home after a grueling four-game road trip. J.J. Redick's team only won one game on this tour, adding to their problems away from home. They've dropped their last three games and are coming off a 134-132 overtime setback in Atlanta.
With a 12-11 record, LA is just one game away from tumbling out of the playoffs. LeBron James is still listed as questionable for this game due to an injury. Anthony Davis and Austin Reeves have also been identified as possible doubts.
The Portland Trail Blazers have been lost in three consecutive games. They were recently defeated at home by the Utah Jazz 141-99 in the Moda Center. Dalano Banton scored 19 points, Jerami Grant added 19 and Kris Murray had 14.
To date, the Lakers have a better advantage in those games leading 130-114 in terms of victories. Notably this will be the first event of the season with any of the teams. The Lakers were able to take the series last year and cover the spread in two of three games, one of which was at home. All things considered, the Lakers are only 7-3 in the last 10 matches against the Blazers and triumphant in 4 of the last five matches at Crypto.
It was on this sector that many would find it remarkable that the offence failed to deliver. Besides, the Blazers are on the 25 th position in points. They also stand 28th on field goal shooting percentage including 25th on the three pointers. The Trail Blazers are not that effective in outside shooting, and they are ranked 25th in the NBA in free-throw shooting. The same thing can be said about the Blazers’ performance on the boards; they rank 22 in this aspect. Portland is also bad with the ball, turning it over 27th most often. If there is one thing the Blazers do not lack it is the ability to defend. As of now they are 5 th in blocked shots.
The Lakers are 16th best team in points because they have not been scoring as much in recent games. Further, they have regressed to 10th in field goal shooting efficiency, 17th in shooting efficiency from three point range. The Lakers also have a worse free throw shooting regulation as they stand at a 13th position. The Lakers have done well on the boards over the past few seasons, but have hit a low, ranking 27th overall in total rebounds. But they have became better in passing the basketball, the Lakers having been ranked sixth in turnovers. However, their work in defending this week has been pathetic, and this stands proven by the fact that they are ranked 24rd in the team’s blocked shots.
Los Angeles Lakers have lost their last three games. The Atlanta Hawks recently defeated them 134-132 (OT) away at State Farm Arena. LeBron James had a terrific triple-double effort, scoring 39 points, 11 assists, and grabbing 10 rebounds.
The Lakers defeated the Blazers the previous time they met. The score was 134-110 at Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers have won three straight against the Blazers. They've also won seven of the last ten head-to-head matches.
Anthony Davis is having an excellent season with the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 27.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while shooting 53% from the field. He has the greatest usage rate on the Los Angeles squad, even surpassing LeBron James.
However, Davis has since cooled down. While he scored 38 points in a heartbreaking defeat to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night, the big man had failed to score more than 20 points in four of his previous five games.
The Lakers' suffering continued on Friday night against the Atlanta Hawks, as Trae Young scored the game-winning shot, handing them their third consecutive loss. Despite the loss, LeBron James believes that things will improve and the Lakers will find their footing. Things have changed since the beginning of the season, and the Lakers' three-game losing streak has highlighted numerous shortcomings.
The Lakers will cover the spread if James and Davis convert their shooting opportunities and others step up. The Lakers must then improve their defensive performance in order to defeat Portland.
James is still performing well, averaging 23 points per game and shooting 49.5% from the field. Similarly, Anthony Davis has been performing well, scoring 27.4 points per game and shooting 53.4 percent from the field. However, his rebounding percentages are lower than last season, indicating that he has to improve even more quickly. The Lakers were again without Austin Reaves on Friday, and it is unclear whether he will be available for this game. As a result, the Lakers rely on D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, and Dalton Knecht to fill the gaps.
