The San Antonio Spurs have proven the Golden State Warriors don’t own every record in the NBA this season. The Spurs are unbeaten at the ATT Center with an 11-0 mark, one game better than the Warriors’ home ledger. The Lakers, owners of the worst record in the Western Conference, will try to bring that run to an end.
You can bet on NBA odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
LOOK AHEAD
Change was clearly needed. But benching D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle wasn’t what most had in mind. However, before the Lakers’ 102-93 loss in Toronto on Monday, coach Byron Scott moved the two promising youngsters, the Lakers’ lottery picks in the past two drafts, to the bench. Scott said he was seeking a faster start from a staring unit that in the previous two games had fallen behind by double digits before scoring. Staggering the minutes of Russell and Randle with ball-dominant Kobe Bryant was a side benefit, he added. The move stunned both players, who were told by Scott in a Monday morning meeting. With Russell and Randle out of the starting lineup, Bryant had his most efficient offensive game of the year, scoring 21 points on 8 of 16 shooting. The Lakers have two games left on their season-high eight game road trip and Scott said more changes may be coming. But there’s only so much he can do.
INJURIES
Kawhi Leonard had a bout of the stomach flu earlier in the week and missed Monday’s game at Philadelphia. It was a good time to sit the star forward, who wasn’t needed in a rout of the Sixers. Leonard should be able to go when the Lakers visit.
KEY MATCHUP
Leonard spent his first four years in the NBA developing, basically waiting his turn, before emerging last season to lead the team in scoring. It was the first time since the 1996-97 season that Tim Duncan, Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili didn’t lead San Antonio in scoring. And it will likely continue into the future as the Spurs have finally handed Leonard the keys to the offense. He is the team’s top scorer this season with 21.6 points per game, five points higher than last year’s average. Leonard is a star in the NBA because he can simply do it all. He creates shots off the dribble and coach Gregg Popovich puts him in spot-up situations, which end in either a catch-and-shoot or catch-and-drive play. Leonard is also a much improved shooter from three-point range, adding to the difficult task of defending him. He leads the league in three-point field goal percentage and is shooting 15 percent better from beyond the arc than he did last season. The Lakers don’t play much defense and that’s not good when facing Leonard, who could have a big game in the points column.
ODDS AND PREDICTION
The Lakers lost to the 76ers. That should tell you all you need to know about where they are headed this season. While Bryant begins his farewell tour around the NBA after announcing this will be his last season, Los Angeles is likely to suffer because of it. Coach Byron Scott can’t sit the superstar as he enters buildings for the last time to throngs of appreciative fans, denying him the chance to develop his younger players. Randle and Russell have been removed from the starting lineup in a questionable, but understandable, move and Bryant is actually hurting the team more than he’s helping it. Sure, the Lakers will win some games along the way, but it’s hard to imagine them surpassing last season’s franchise-low total and knocking off the Spurs in San Antonio is a near impossible task.
San Antonio 113, Los Angeles 98
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs will take place Friday, December 11, 2015, at 9:30 p.m. ET at the ATT Center. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
