The Lakers have won three straight games for the first time in nearly a year and the last two were without franchise icon Kobe Bryant. Maybe LA is better off without the future Hall of Famer as he waltzes into the twilight of his career. Or maybe the Lakers caught a break in the schedule with their three victims having a combined winning percentage of .311.
You can bet on NBA odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
LOOK AHEAD
It’s hard to get upset when you’re team wins a game or two, but in the case of the Los Angeles Lakers, the fans will start squirming if more victories are to follow. As most every Lakers fan surely knows by now, the Lakers’ 2016 first-round pick is top-three protected and will fall to the 76ers if that pick falls outside the first three slots because of the Steve Nash trade in 2012. Such an outcome would be nothing short of disastrous following what will almost certainly be the worst season in Lakers’ franchise history – or worse than last season’s 21-61 mark. They have a little bit better than 50-50 odds right now to keep their pick; not too bad. Anything can happen over the final four months of the season, especially if LA’s young players continue to develop – specifically guards D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson and forwards Julius Randle and Larry Nance Jr. If Lakers fans were cheering for their team to lose down the stretch last season, expect those cheers to become even louder as this season moves on.
INJURIES
Stephen Curry returned to the lineup Saturday after missing two games with a bruised lower left leg but hurt it again in the same place when he got kicked. He didn’t play the entire second half and was to be reevaluated prior to Golden State’s game with Charlotte on Monday. Brandon Rush missed Saturday’s game with a hamstring injury and Festus Ezeli sat out with an injured toe.
The Lakers played the last two games without Bryant because of a sore right shoulder, the same one had surgery on last January to repair a torn rotator cuff. His status for Tuesday is unknown.
KEY MATCHUP
Understanding there would be limited support from his teammates with the Warriors facing an unusual stretch where several players are dealing with injuries, Draymond Green sprinkled his name all over the stat sheet with back-to-back triple-double. With MVP Steph Curry out of the lineup against Houston last Thursday, Green made sure the Warriors wouldn’t lose consecutive games just yet. He scored 10 points with 16 assists and 11 boards in a 114-110 win. With five players unavailable against Denver on Saturday, Green stepped up once again. He had to. Curry re-injured himself and Andrew Bogut fouled out, leaving the Dubs with seven players. Green went on to record his sixth triple-double with 29 points, 17 rebounds, 14 assists, four steals and a blocked shot. No one was more essential to staving off the Nuggets than Green in the overtime win. At 6-foot-6, the power forward’s height falls in the range of shooting guards and small forwards. But his game wanders into the realm of centers or point guards, whichever he needs to be. Green is a matchup nightmare for teams simply because he can play anywhere. The Lakers will have a hard time keeping up.
ODDS AND PREDICTION
The Warriors continue to chase Chicago’s record for wins in a season and are working through the toughest part of their schedule. Not because of the teams they’re playing, but because of the players not playing. Curry sat out last Wednesday’s 114-91 loss at Dallas and re-injured his leg when the Warriors blew a 26-point lead and needed overtime to get past Denver. The Dubs are finishing a stretch of five games in seven nights with a shorthanded roster and are still winning. That shows us just how good this team is. The Lakers strung together their first three-game winning streak since last February and face the Warriors at home on a roll. But don’t get too excited Lakers fans, they beat Phoenix without its top scorer on Sunday and knocked off the lowly 76ers at Staples Center on Friday. They had a nice road win at Boston to start the streak, so at least things are looking a little bit better. If the Lakers improve too much, they could lose their No. 1 pick in the draft, which would be devastating for a club that still needs plenty of help. Even shorthanded the Warriors shouldn’t have a problem defeating LA, besides the Lakers need the loss more than the win.
Golden State 115, Los Angeles 102
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The game between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers is slated for Tuesday, January 5, 2015, at 10:30 p.m. ET at Staples Center. You can watch the game live on NBA TV.
