LeBron James knew there would be growing pains. The Los Angeles Lakers were a team full of young, but talented, players before he arrived and his role was to be a mentor as much as anything else. However, James has expressed frustration at times, and in an interview on Monday he told reporters that he nearly lost his cool earlier in the year. James is the greatest basketball player since Michael Jordan, and possibly of all-time, and after winning the Eastern Conference for eight consecutive seasons, it’s frustrated him to be second fiddle. His Lakers are just 7-6, and a loss to the surging Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night would bring them back to .500.
This regular season tilt between Western Conference foes will take place on Wednesday, November 14, 2018. Tip-off will take place at 10:30 p.m. ET from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
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Odds Analysis
There has been no line released for this game as NBA betting odds generally come out the night before the game. This article will be published on Tuesday, so there are no basketball betting lines available at this time.
Key Injuries
Portland is unlikely to have Maurice Harkless available once again. Harkless has missed the Trail Blazers’ last eight games with a knee injury, and the team is being careful with their big man.
The Lakers are relatively healthy ahead of this tilt. Lonzo Ball had been hampered by an ankle issue, but he has played in each of the team’s last two games and should be fine for this one after two nights off to rest.
Previous Meetings
Incredibly, these two teams have already met twice this season. Portland and Los Angeles met in the season opener for both teams in Rose City. LeBron James had a solid debut, but his six turnovers proved costly and Portland ended up getting the victory. The Trail Blazers’ guards were too much to handle for the young Lakers as Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Nik Stauskas, and Evan Turner combined to score 86 points.
The Lakers had the upper hand in the rematch earlier this month. James led the team with 28 points, but the bench was the real factor. While LeBron finished -22 in plus/minus every player that came off the bench was at least +15, and Rajon Rondo was +28. Lillard and McCollum each dropped 30 in the game, but that wasn’t enough.
Key Stat
Portland is led by its guards more than perhaps any other team in the league. Lillard and McCollum are one of the league’s best back court pairings, and they would get more attention if it wasn’t for Golden State’s duo being one of the best ever.
In the Trail Blazers’ loss to the Lakers 11 days ago, the main culprit was three-point shooting. Portland went just 6-35 from beyond the arc, and players were missing wide-open looks. Lillard and McCollum combined to go 4-17 from downtown, and the rest of the team went just 2-18. That’s not a recipe for success for any team, much less a team that relies on its guards.
Live Betting Preview
LeBron can take over any game, but this is a team he can really have a night against. James has been content to take a back seat for long stretches this season, but with two nights’ rest before this one he will want to make a mark on national television. He will be able to get to the hole, and the free throw line often, as the Blazers don’t have many bigs and Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins are both below average defenders. Bet his overs, and keep an eye on Portland’s foul situation too, as those bigs might get in trouble early.
NBA ATS Pick: Lakers 124, Trail Blazers 116
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