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The LA Lakers switch to survival mode as they wait for their key stars to get healthy. On Monday, the Purple and Gold head to Barclays Center to take on former Laker D'Angelo Russell and the Brooklyn Nets. This will be one of the games that will glimpse as a backdoor pilot to the post-LeBron James era with Doncic spearheading the side.
The Boston Celtics snapping the team's eight-game winning streak was not the only bad news as they lost LeBron James to a groin injury in the same matchup. Now, they will hope that Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves will be enough to tide them over in the absence of the 4x NBA champion.
It doesn't help LA that they play the Milwaukee Bucks and the Denver Nuggets in a back-to-back next, and they will do that without James and probably Rui Hachimura. If the veteran forward will indeed be good to go after a week, that should see the Lakers breathe a sigh of relief. The question for LA is if they can combine the playing hard mentality with all of their skills as they gear up for a stern test ahead.
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As for the Nets, it's been a tough and forgettable run in rebuild mode with seven losses on the bounce. They are 12th in the East with a 21-42 record and are well out of the playoffs race. With nothing to lose, they can be a handful playing without pressure. It will be interesting to see how Russell fares against his former team.
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LA Lakers vs Brooklyn Nets Preview, Predicted Starting Lineups, Betting Tips, Odds, and Prediction
The LA Lakers vs Brooklyn Nets matchup tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET. Local coverage will be on SportsNet LA and YES. The game can be streamed live on Fubo TV (regional restrictions may apply) and on the NBA app with a subscription to the NBA League Pass.
Here are the odds as listed at the time of writing:
Note: Odds are subject to change closer to tip-off.
LA Lakers vs Brooklyn Nets Preview
Containing Cam Johnson and D'Angelo Russell will be a priority for the Lakers. The Nets have struggled on both ends of the floor and LA will hope to use that to their advantage even if they are missing vital cogs in their lineup. Brooklyn is near the bottom of the league in scoring offense.
They are 29th in the NBA averaging 105.1 points per game and averaging 105.9 points per 100 possessions. They are 29th again in field goal offense with 43.9% from the field and 27th in 3-point offense with 34.3%. In return, the Lakers are 18th in the NBA in scoring offense averaging 112.9 points per game.
They are seventh in FG offense (48.0%) and 17th in downtown offense (35.5%). LA continues to be a top-10 defensive unit with an eighth-placed scoring defense. They allow 111.1 points per game and the Nets are 10th conceding 111.6 points.
LA Lakers vs Brooklyn Nets Predicted Starting Lineups
There are legitimate injury concerns for the Lakers. They will be without LeBron James (left groin strain), Rui Hachimura (left patellar tendinopathy), Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle soreness), and Maxi Kleber (right foot surgery). Luka Dončić (back soreness) and Jaxson Hayes (right knee contusion) are questionable.
The Nets have listed De’Anthony Melton (left knee ACL tear), Cam Thomas (left hamstring management), and Trendon Watford (left hamstring) are out.
LA Lakers vs Brooklyn Nets Betting Tips
Cameron Johnson is listed -102/-120 on points. Nic Claxton is -125/-105 on points and rebounds. For the Lakers, Luka Doncic is -110/-110 on points, and Austin Reaves is -106/-115 on points and rebounds.
LA Lakers vs Brooklyn Nets Prediction
Despite their loss to the Boston Celtics and the absence of LeBron James and Rui Hachimura, the LA Lakers are favorites to get past the Nets. They still have Doncic and Reaves to spearhead their offense and Jarred Vanderbilt to steer the ship on defense. Take the Lakers for the win on Monday.
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