Ever since the James Harden trade, this is the most talked about matchup in the NBA and could potentially be an NBA final. Irving, Durant and Harden going against the King and Anthony Davis, what more could an NBA fan ask for? Although some injuries will affect the hype of this game, nonetheless it remains a great matchup. It’s Brooklyn Nets Vs LA Lakers – NBA Final Preview?
Match Details
- Fixture: Brooklyn Nets vs LA Lakers | NBA Season 2020-21
- Date & Time: Thursday, February 18th, 10 PM ET (Friday, 8:30 AM IST)
- Venue: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Match Preview
The Nets get their first “big test” of the season when they visit the Lakers tonight. Kyrie, Durant and Harden are by far the most talented trio in the NBA and they have some solid players around them. On the other hand, the Lakers look stronger than last season on papers as they look to defend their title. James is playing on an MVP level, and the front office acquired some highly talented players to surround him. So could this be a preview of the NBA finals? Both teams enter the game sitting in 2nd place in their respective conferences. Let’s analyse them seperately and see what to expect tonight.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are 22-7 and in second place in the Western Conference after winning eight of their last nine games. Despite facing some close encounters, most probably due to their high turnover rate which allows the opposition to stick around, they still managed to get their wins. Remember now that this team still have some new players that are trying to adjust more to the system game by game.
Now the Lakeshow will be missing All-Star Anthony Davis due to a calf strain. However, the King, who is 36 btw, is leading the way averaging 25.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.9 assists while shooting 50.4 percent. Last time he avereged those numbers he was crowned MVP, could we see that again this season? In addition to his greatness, LA acquired some huge talents to help them defend the title. Montrezl Harrell is averaging 13.3 points per game, while guard Dennis Schroder averages 14.2 points. Both players were in contest for the 6th man award last season, now playing on the same team and building chemistry together. Add to them the talents of Kuzma who is playing some solid basketball this season, the rise of THT who is proving to be vital for the Lakers and the spark of Caruso from the bench. This team will be hard to beat when it matters most.
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets are 18-12 and have moved up to second place in the Eastern Conference. They enter this game on the back of a 4 games winning streak as they look to extend it to 5. They have been struggling with injuries and absences for a while now, however when they are all fit and ready it’s a scary team to face. Brooklyn played without Durant (hamstring) and Irving (back) in Tuesday’s 128-124 win at the Phoenix Suns, the game where Harden took over scoring 38 points and erasing a 24 points deficit to get the win. During that game, Tyler Johnson got his first start of the season scoring a season-high 17 points. This was the Nets 8th new starting lineup in the last eight games, and their 20th starting group of the season, a league high.
Kyrie is listed as day-to-day on the injury report and could miss this game. Durant on the other hand is out. However, Brooklyn have the talents to rally against the Lakers. Joe Harris for example is having one of the best shooting seasons in the league. He’s 1st in effective FG% shooting 68.5%, 4th in 3-points FG% with 49.5% and is currently 2nd behind Jason Kidd for most 3-pointers made in franchise history. He is averaging a career-high 14.9 points per game as he looks to help his team against the defending champs. The Nets also have one of the most talented players in the league, James Harden. No one can take over a game and force his influence like he can. In addition to his shooting ability, his playmaking talent will come in handy in case Irving was missing. Harden was beaten by the Lakers in the playoffs last season, as he eyes his revenge with the Nets. Can they go all the way and achieve what he failed to do in Houston?
Game Prediction
Brooklyn Nets Vs LA Lakers – NBA Final Preview? It’s a matchup between the number 1 offensive team, Brooklyn (120.9), and number 1 deffensive team, Lakers (105.2). However, with Durant out and Davis injured, both teams will take a hit. Now the Lakers did manage to get their wins with Anthony’s absence, although they were against teams of the worst records this season. His defensive presence will be badly missed, as well as his ability to take over inside, especially with the Nets lack of size. So how can the Lakers fill this void? The newcomers will have more opportunity now to show why they were acquired, just like they did against the Wolves. Can they take advantage?
On the other hand, with the addition of Andre Roberson, the Nets are a more balanced team now. They have the ability to score the basketball is a variety of ways, shooting threes, making plays and sharing the ball. Now, they can also add some defensive experience with Roberson, who was an NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection in 2016-17 and a former teammate of Durant in OKC.
Current Odds
Bottom line is, this should be a very close encounter. The Lakers are playing good lately but they always allow the opponents to stick around and you can’t do that with the Nets. We saw what they did the Phoenix, even without Irving and Durant. We think that playing the spread on Brooklyn will be a safe choice. The Over in total points also seems logical.
- Over 236.5: 1.86
- Brooklyn +2.5: 1.90
- Lakers -2.5: 1.95
Stay up to date with bet365.
For the latest news, visit my blog or follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.