Preview: San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers – Game #57
Can Victor Wembanyama lead the Spurs to a win over the Lakers? (Photo via Twitter)
Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the San Antonio Spurs will try to get back on the winning track against the Los Angeles Lakers. In a game that was decided in the final minutes, the Spurs ended up losing a close one to the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night by a final score of 127-122. San Antonio has a record of 11-45, while Los Angeles sits at 30-27.
Against the Kings, the Spurs were led by Devin Vassell’s 32 points and seven assists, while Victor Wembanyama stuffed the stat sheet with 19 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, five steals and five blocks in 31 minutes. The Spurs got a couple of other solid performances (see the Grades) but couldn’t hold on late in Sacramento.
Playing without LeBron James (ankle), the Lakers lost their first game after the All-Star break, a 128-110 defeat at the hands of the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers got 27 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks from Anthony Davis but that ended up being no match for Stephen Curry’s 32 points and eight assists.
Currently, L.A. is the ninth seed in the Western Conference, which means they’re in line to be in the play-in tournament. San Antonio, on the other hand, is the 15th and final seed in the West.
LeBron James Injury Update
Even though LeBron James wasn’t able to play yesterday against the Warriors, he’s expected to be able to suit up tonight against the Spurs. James got extra treatment on an ankle injury over the All-Star break and the Lakers decided to give him a little bit of extra rest by sitting him versus Golden State. Letting him sit also avoided him having to play in a back-to-back.
On the season, James is averaging 24.8 points, 7.8 assists and 7.2 rebounds in 34.9 minutes per game. The 39-year-old is shooting 52.0% from the floor, 39.5% from three-point range and 74.1% from the free throw line.
San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup
The Spurs aren’t dealing with any active injuries so we can be confident that head coach Gregg Popovich will start Victor Wembanyama at center, Devin Vassell at shooting guard, Jeremy Sochan at power forward, Tre Jones at point guard and Julian Champagnie at small forward.
Off the bench, expect to see Keldon Johnson, Zach Collins, Blake Wesley, Cedi Osman and Malaki Branham.
Betting Guide: Spurs at Lakers
The Lakers are favored by 10 points and the over/under is 241 points. Considering that both teams are playing in the second night of a back-to-back, the under is the wisest play. Moreover, San Antonio’s offense hasn’t been good as of late and Los Angeles has been inconsistent.