The Los Angeles Lakers and the LA Clippers will engage in a marquee matchup in Hollywood this Sunday. The Lakers are looking to even up the regular-season series between the two teams, while the Clippers want to get out of a funk at the expense of the reigning NBA champions. Check out our preview of this game below.
The Lakers got back on track after a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks last Wednesday by defeating the Sacramento Kings on Friday, 115-94, to kick off a seven-game road trip. Technically, the Lakers will still be playing at home this Sunday against the Clippers, but they are the designated road team for this matchup. The Lakers will be looking for payback against the Clippers, who won the first meeting, 116-109, between these two teams way back in December. Back then, the Lakers had LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the team. This time, the Lakers will be relying on the likes of Kyle Kuzma and Dennis Schroder to spearhead the team’s attack with both James and Davis still out due to injuries. Kuzma and Schroder are averaging 19.2 and 19.0 points over the Lakers’ last five games. The Lakers’ defense is also still holding nicely, having allowed just 98.8 points in that same stretch – the best in the NBA.
The under is 8-2 in the Lakers’ last 10 games overall.
The Clippers are suddenly struggling to win. After stitching together six wins in a row, the Clippers have now lost back-to-back contests to the Orlando Magic (103-96) last Tuesday and to the Denver Nuggets (101-94) on Thursday, both at home. But the Clippers should still feel good about their chances against the Lakers, who are missing their best players. As good as Kuzma and company have played of late, the Lakers’ ceiling is way lower than when they have James and Davis active. The Clippers also have their superstar duo healthy, unlike the Lakers. Although Paul George is experiencing some discomfort in his right toe, he should still be able to play this Sunday after scoring 17 points against the Nuggets. Kawhi Leonard, on the other hand, had 24 points and 12 rebounds. The two combined for 59 points in the win over the Lakers last December.
The Clippers are 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 games overall.
