The Los Angeles Lakers host a consistent Cleveland Cavaliers at the Crypto.com Arena on Sunday. Placed 7-1 and second in the Eastern Conference, the Donovan Mitchell-led side has rolled off five wins in a row and come into LA as the favorites.
They come off a 112-88 win against the Detroit Pistons that saw Jarrett Allen (23 points, 7 rebounds) and Kevin Love (21 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists) take the side home in Mitchell’s absence.
At the other end, the Lakers’ two-win run was snapped by a belligerent Utah Jazz, who made complete use of the lackluster defense and notched up a 130-116 win. While Russell Westbrook was impressive coming off the bench again, scoring 26 points and adding 3 rebounds and 6 assists, it wasn’t enough to get the side over the line.
A side with LeBron James and Anthony Davis can’t be discounted at any stage, and the Cavaliers will be wary of the fact, and ahead of the much-awaited clash, we take a look at the starters, the injury report, and the predicted outcome.
Los Angeles Lakers Expected Lineups And Injuries Updates
ESPN reports that LeBron James and Anthony Davis are Day-To-Day. The latter seemed confident ahead of the game and in an interaction with reporters prior, said the plan was to play both the Cavaliers and the Utah Jazz again soon after.
James’ recovery from the stomach bug puts him on the injury list, but in all probability, he will suit up against his former team. Wenyen Gabriel is listed day-to-day as well.
Dennis Schroder and Thomas Bryant continue to recover from their respective thumb injuries and will be on the sidelines, while Cole Swider continues to sit out.
The Lakers will probably field the same starters as they did in the previous game. Lonnie Walker IV (G), Patrick Beverley (G), Troy Brown Jr. (F), LeBron James (F), and Anthony Davis (C) will be the probable starters.
Cleveland Cavaliers Expected Lineups And Injuries Updates
Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are listed day-to-day ahead of the clash against the Lakers, while Dylan Windler (ankle) and Ricky Rubio (knee) will be out.
Mitchell’s ankle issue saw him sit out of the clash against the Pistons. The injury he sustained during their game against the Boston Celtics saw him walk off the court but returned to chip in with 25 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists as they won 114-113 in overtime.
Isaac Okoro (G), Donovan Mitchell (G), Caris LeVert (F), Evan Mobley (F), and Jarrett Allen (C) might be the potential starters.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction
Despite propping up two wins in a row, the Lakers were handed a loss by the Jazz who have been impressive so far in the season. Barring James, Davis, and Westbrook (with his newfound rhythm), the team is yet to hit the straps and complement their stars.
The Cavaliers have been one of the more consistent sides in the league and are primed to make the postseason given their rich vein of form. Their depth and perfect rotation make them a massive threat to the Lakers, and with Mitchell most certainly set to return to the mix, they will look to make it 8-1.
Mitchell has proved that he was worth every bit of the sacrifices the Cavaliers made in the offseason to add him to their ranks.
At the time of writing, he leads the way in scoring 31.1 points plus 7.1 assists a night. The team is seventh in the league in scoring and is second in scoring defense compared to the Lakers who are placed 25th and 17th respectively. Expect the Cleveland Cavaliers to take this win.
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