The defending champs host the Charlotte at Staples Center, with both teams having a good run lately. LaMelo Ball will look to impress the King in his own house. On the other hand, the Lakers will look to keep going without AD. This is the Hornets Vs Lakers – Can The LakeShow Keep Rolling?
Match Preview
The Lakers have gone 13-8 in home games, while the Hornets are 8-11 on the road. Both teams meet Thursday for the first time this season, so we don’t have a prior fixture to know what to expect from this. However, we will analyse their current matches and see how will they approach this one.
Los Angeles Lakers
Before the All-Star break, the Lakers endured a four-game losing streak in the absence of both Dennis Schroder and Anthony Davis. However, after the break and along with some key adjusments, they finally found their rhythm again. LeBron and Schroder have led the way with the starters, while the trio of Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma and Talen Horton-Tucker has been terrific off the bench. Harrell in particular has scored at least 25 points in three of four games while shooting 63.7%. These players will have to keep playing with the same intensity, at least till AD is back.
The Lakers head into this game onthe back of a 3 games winning streak, while winning five of their last seven games. LeBron James is leading the way with back-to-back triple doubles against the Warriors and Timberwolves. It looks like the Champs are getting used to life without AD, as Vogel’s adjustment allowed the team to flourish. Can they keep it going?
Charlotte Hornets
Jordan’s team has been the highlight story of this season. As a team that few picked to even make the playoffs, while some suggested that Ball will be another flop, are now enjoying their current slot as the No. 5 seed in the East. In fact, they won five of their last seven games with four in a row, until a 129-104 blowout loss at Denver on Wednesday.
The Hornets have been a very balanced team this season. LaMelo Ball is putting up some strong numbers since being inserted into the starting lineup (19.8 points, 6.6 assists, 6.2 rebounds in 33.1 minutes). Can he stay consistent throughout the whole season? With the help of some key veterans, the Charlotte could actually make the playoffs this year and surprise everyone. Gordon Hayward is averaging 21.1 points and 5.4 rebounds while Terry Rozier is averaging 20.4 points and 3.2 assists. If this trio can stay healthy, they might have a chance of going through.
Game Prediction
Hornets Vs Lakers – Can The LakeShow Keep Rolling? Charlotte ranks 15th in points allowed in the paint, with Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo playing the majority of center minutes. Against Denver, they were dominated inside, conceding 64 points on 32 of 40 FG’s. While Denver ranks 12th in points in the paint, the Lakers are 6th, despite missing AD, with Montrezl dominating after the All-Star break. This is the area that the Lakers should look at if they want to keep their run going.
Current Odds
Bottom line is, we expect the Lakers to extend their winning run at home. It will be interesting to see how the Hornets will respond after their blowout loss to Denver. However, the Lakers are starting to get healthy again while finding their rhythm again. It’s going to be hard to stand in their way, especially with the way Lebron is playing lately. The defending Champs will get the job done in this one, we expect a Laker win!
- Lakers Win: 1.30
- Lakers – 8: 1.90
- Charlotte +8: 1.90
Stay up to date with bet365.
For the latest news, visit my blog or follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.