ORLANDO vs LA LAKERS
When: 3/28/2021 10:00 PM
Where: Staples Center

TV: 10:00 PM
LINE: -270
PREDICTION: LA Lakers, Orlando Magic

Oddsmakers currently have the LA Lakers listed as 6.5 point favorites versus the Orlando Magic, while the game’s total is sitting at 207.5.

The short-handed Los Angeles Lakers will try to squeeze out another win against a rebuilding franchise when they host the Orlando Magic on Sunday night.

Playing their fourth straight game without stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers ended a four-game losing streak with a 100-86 win against the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.

Like the Cavaliers, who bought out two-time All-Star center Andre Drummond on Friday, the Magic traded their three best players on Thursday in a major rebuilding move.

Nikola Vucevic, another two-time All Star center, was traded to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter and two future first-round picks.

Orlando also sent Evan Fournier to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Jeff Teague, and Aaron Gordon went to the Denver Nuggets for Gary Harris, R.J. Hampton and a future first-round pick. The Magic waived Teague on Saturday.

Vucevic, Fournier and Gordon were the top three scorers for the Magic, combining for nearly 59 points a game.

“We are going to be younger,” Orlando coach Steve Clifford said. “I think guys like Otto Porter, Gary Harris, they can do for the younger guys a lot of the things (Vucevic) did for them. You definitely need that, and I think it’s wise to understand that there could be some tough stretches in games when you have all younger guys on the floor.”

The new lineup for the Magic won’t need to prepare for James or Davis, however.

James has missed the past four games with a high-ankle sprain, and Davis has been sidelined since mid-February with a calf injury.

Both will be unavailable against Orlando.

James was injured in a 99-94 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on March 20, and the Lakers proceeded to lose their next three as well, matching their longest losing streak of the season.

Los Angeles regrouped against the Cavaliers on Friday night, getting 24 points and 10 rebounds off the bench from Montrezl Harrell.

“We have to play next man up,” Harrell. said. “We can’t look forward to two, three weeks or whenever (James and Davis) come back. We’re not just looking to hold on or keep our head above water. We’re looking to get wins.”

The Lakers have dropped to fourth in the Western Conference standings and entered Saturday just 1 1/2 games ahead of the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers for fifth and sixth.

They face additional challenging games next week against the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers, both third in their respective conferences.

Lakers guard Wesley Matthews told reporters after the win against the Cavaliers that Los Angeles has the pieces to hold it together until James and Davis return.

“Everybody has a voice out there, everybody has knowledge,” he said. “When you lose two superstars … it’s always already a team game, it becomes more of a team game.”

The Magic didn’t have their former players or new additions in a 112-105 loss to the Trail Blazers on Friday night, forcing Clifford to keep some players on the floor longer than he preferred.

Clifford is hoping his team can begin to find chemistry on Sunday and take shape of what they may look like in the future.

“To have a chance to play better on Sunday, the (new) guys have to get acclimated,” Clifford said.

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OKLAHOMA CITY vs LA LAKERS
When: 2/10/2021 10:00 PM
Where: STAPLES Center, Los Angeles

TV: 10:00 PM
LINE: -11.5 Lakers
PREDICTION: LA LAKERS , OKLAHOMA CITY

Oddsmakers currently have the Los Angeles Lakers listed as 11.5 point favorites versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, while the game’s total is sitting at 219.5.

The Lakers are 12-4 against Western Conference opponents. Los Angeles is third in the Western Conference with 51.4 points per game in the paint led by Anthony Davis averaging 12.3.

The Thunder have gone 5-10 against Western Conference opponents. Oklahoma City has a 3-9 record in games decided by 10 points or more.

The teams square off for the second game in a row.

TOP PERFORMERS:

LeBron James is averaging 25.6 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Lakers. Dennis Schroder is averaging 13.9 points and 3 rebounds while shooting 46.8% over the last 10 games for Los Angeles.

Al Horford leads the Thunder averaging 2.3 made 3-pointers while scoring 13.7 points per game and shooting 41.5% from beyond the arc. Darius Bazley is averaging 8.2 rebounds and 13.9 points per game over the last 10 games for Oklahoma City.

LAST 10 GAMES:

Lakers: 8-2, averaging 109.8 points, 41.7 rebounds, 24.4 assists, 7.6 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 48.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 104.6 points on 45.3% shooting.

Thunder: 4-6, averaging 110.3 points, 44.5 rebounds, 23.1 assists, 7.6 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 45.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116 points on 46.4% shooting.

INJURIES:

Lakers: Alex Caruso: day to day (hand), Anthony Davis: out (achilles), Kostas Antetokounmpo: out (knee), Jared Dudley: out (calf).

Thunder: Theo Maledon: out (health protocols), George Hill: out (thumb), Trevor Ariza: out (personal), Mike Muscala: out (concussion), Isaiah Roby: out (foot).

BOTTOM LINE: Los Angeles hosts Oklahoma City looking to extend its three-game home winning streak.

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OKLAHOMA CITY vs LA LAKERS
When: 2/8/2021 10:00 PM
Where:

TV: 10:00 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: LA LAKERS , OKLAHOMA CITY

Oddsmakers currently have the LA LAKERS listed as 10.5 point favorites versus the OKLAHOMA CITY, while the game’s total is sitting at 218.

Winning games when you don’t play your best, particularly against teams under .500, is crucial during the NBA season, says Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James. The woeful Detroit Pistons offer a case in point.

“Listen, we bring out the best in the Pistons,” said James, who finished with 33 points on 13-for-26 shooting, 11 assists and four steals after the Lakers beat the league’s worst team 135-129 in double overtime on Saturday at Staples Center.

“They’ve had two really good games versus us — another was tonight,” said James. “We give out credit where credit is due. They played well but we got enough stops and we made enough shots to win the game. Every game is going to have its own challenges and we accept all challenges, and we did that tonight.”

The Oklahoma City Thunder, who are two games under .500 at 10-12, will present another obstacle for the Lakers on Monday when they play the first of consecutive contests. They meet again Wednesday.

Against the Pistons, the Lakers, who own the NBA’s second-best record at 18-6, avoided an embarrassing loss to a club missing key performers including Blake Griffin (rest), Derrick Rose (personal reasons) and Wayne Ellington (calf).

Anthony Davis scored 30 points, Dennis Schroder contributed 22 points and eight assists and Kyle Kuzma added 14 points and six boards, but a late drought offensively almost cost the Lakers.

A lack of offense in the second half almost resulted in a setback for Oklahoma City on Saturday.

However, the Thunder prevailed in a 120-118 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Thunder, who had seven players score in double figures.

“We’re competitors at the end of the day,” Gilgeous-Alexander told the team’s website. “That’s first and foremost, and that’s one of things that we hang our hat on each night.”

Mike Muscala scored 22 points before leaving in the fourth quarter with a concussion. He isn’t expected to play the first game in Los Angeles. Hamidou Diallo finished with 15 points and six rebounds as the Thunder held on after blowing a 23-point lead.

Oklahoma City rolled to an 83-62 lead at the break, setting a franchise record for points in a half. However, the Wolves rallied by outscoring the Thunder 32-13 in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 96-94 heading into the fourth.

A bucket by Darius Bazley, who finished with 13 points, with 1:16 remaining was the difference as neither team scored again.

“Obviously, we went into halftime with a big lead and we didn’t keep our foot on the pedal, let them back in it,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 13 points in the fourth quarter. “But at the end of the day, we did enough to get a win.”

Oklahoma City’s Al Horford (rest) and Isaiah Roby (foot) missed the contest.

The Lakers pounded the Thunder 128-99 at Oklahoma City on Jan 13. James scored 26 points. Gilgeous-Alexander had a team-high 17 points.

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DETROIT vs LA LAKERS
When: 2/6/2021 10:05 PM
Where:

TV: 10:05 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: LA LAKERS , DETROIT

Oddsmakers currently have the LA LAKERS listed as point favorites versus the DETROIT, while the game’s total is sitting at .

Detroit Pistons (5-17, 15th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (17-6, second in the Western Conference)

Los Angeles; Saturday, 10 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Detroit travels to Los Angeles looking to stop its six-game road slide.

The Lakers are 5-4 on their home court. Los Angeles ranks ninth in the NBA with 35.6 defensive rebounds per game led by LeBron James averaging 7.2.

The Pistons are 1-10 in road games. Detroit is 4-12 against opponents over .500.

The teams meet for the second time this season. The Pistons won 107-92 in the last matchup on Jan. 28. Blake Griffin led Detroit with 23 points, and Kyle Kuzma led Los Angeles with 22 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: James leads the Lakers with 2.7 made 3-pointers, and is averaging 25.1 points while shooting 40.9% from beyond the arc. Dennis Schroder is averaging 13.5 points and 3.4 assists over the last 10 games for Los Angeles.

Jerami Grant leads the Pistons scoring 23.6 points and grabbing 5.6 rebounds. Griffin is averaging 1.3 made 3-pointers and scoring 8.4 points over the last 10 games for Detroit.

LAST 10 GAMES: Lakers: 7-3, averaging 106.9 points, 41.1 rebounds, 23.8 assists, 7.4 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 101.5 points on 46.4% shooting.

Pistons: 2-8, averaging 105.5 points, 42.6 rebounds, 22.1 assists, seven steals and five blocks per game while shooting 43.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.5 points on 47.2% shooting.

INJURIES: Lakers: Kostas Antetokounmpo: out (knee), Jared Dudley: out (calf).

Pistons: Killian Hayes: out (hip), Wayne Ellington: day to day (right calf), Jahlil Okafor: out (knee).

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DENVER vs LA LAKERS
When: 2/4/2021 10:05 PM
Where:

TV: 10:05 PM
LINE: -6
PREDICTION: LA LAKERS , DENVER

Oddsmakers currently have the LA LAKERS listed as -6 point favorites versus the DENVER, while the game’s total is sitting at 219.

Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel says his club remains a work in progress. Despite owning one of the NBA’s best records at 16-6, Vogel believes the Lakers can improve.

“We’ll continue to stick to our process and hopefully get better as the season goes along,” Vogel said.

The process will get a test Thursday when the Lakers open a five-game homestand against the Denver Nuggets in a matchup of Western Conference contenders.

The two teams will meet for the first time since the Lakers captured the conference finals 4-1 over the Nuggets last season.

Los Angeles completed a 5-2 road trip by beating the Atlanta Hawks 107-99 on Monday. Anthony Davis scored 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting with three blocks, and LeBron James contributed 21 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for the Lakers, winners of 10 of their last 13 games. Montrezl Harrell, who made eight of nine shots, added 19 points and Dennis Schroder chipped in 16.

The Lakers’ bench sparked an 11-0 run to start the fourth quarter to give the Lakers a double-digit advantage before James hit some clutch buckets and free throws late to hold off the Hawks.

“The group plays hard and they’re scrappy defensively,” Davis said of the reserve unit, which featured Harrell, Alex Caruso, Kyle Kuzma and Talen Horton-Tucker. “Everyone does their jobs. … That group is a special group. And it’s our job to come in when that group does its job to finish it off for them and secure the victory.”

The Nuggets have been on a four-day break after Monday’s contest at home against the Detroit Pistons was postponed because the latter did not have the required eight players available due to the NBA’s safety and health protocols.

On Sunday, the Nuggets earned a 128-117 win over the Jazz, ending Utah’s 11-game winning streak. Nikola Jokic tied a career-high with 47 points on 17-of-26 shooting, making all four of his 3-pointers. He also had 12 rebounds and five assists.

“I think the main thing is just to win the game,” said Jokic, who scored 33 points in the first half, according to the Denver Post. “I’m gonna score however much I need to just to win the game.”

Nuggets coach Michael Malone removed Jokic from the game with 1:39 remaining much to the disappointment of his teammates, who wanted the center to score 50 points. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray objected with humor by tossing the basketball toward Malone.

“I love the fact that he’s even thinking about that, trying to get his teammate to 50,” Malone said.

Will Barton scored 18 points, connecting on 5-of-6 3-pointers, and Murray added 16 points and five assists for the Nuggets, who have won six of their last seven contests. The Nuggets converted 54 percent of their shots from the floor and made 18 of 28 3-pointers (64.3 percent).

Denver guard Gary Harris (left adductor strain) left the contest after the first quarter and did not return. He will not play vs. Los Angeles.

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LA LAKERS vs ATLANTA
When: 2/1/2021 7:30 PM
Where:

TV: 7:30 PM
LINE: 6
PREDICTION: ATLANTA , LA LAKERS

Oddsmakers currently have the ATLANTA listed as 6 point favorites versus the LA LAKERS, while the game’s total is sitting at 218.5.

The Los Angeles Lakers should be at full strength when they complete their seven-game road trip with a stop in Atlanta on Monday, but the Hawks will be without a key starter.

Los Angeles center Anthony Davis returned after missing one game with a right quad contusion to log 27 points and 14 rebounds on Saturday and help the Lakers beat the Boston Celtics 96-95 and end a two-game losing streak.

But Atlanta’s De’Andre Hunter, the team’s second-leading scorer (17.2 points), will miss this game and likely the three other contests the Hawks have this week with an injured knee. He left the Washington game on Friday midway in the second quarter with right knee discomfort and an MRI revealed “articular wear and tear.” He underwent an undisclosed non-surgical procedure and will be re-evaluated next week.

Davis averages 22.2 points and 9.1 rebounds and combines with LeBron James (25.2, 7.8 rebounds, 7.5 assists) to create a powerful one-two punch. James has been dealing with a sprained left ankle, but he showed little signs of trouble when he posted 21 points, seven assists and seven rebounds in 37 minutes on Saturday. The Lakers are 4-2 on their road trip.

“For me, personally, it’s getting back in attack mode,” Davis said. “Being aggressive. Crashing the offensive glass. Being in the paint. All those types of things.”

Lakers coach Frank Vogel said: “(Davis is) getting into that mode right now. He’s starting to pick it up. The injury set him back a little bit, but we want him to be assertive. And when he’s assertive on both sides of the ball, we’re very difficult to beat.”

Both players have a history of success against Atlanta. In 57 career games against the Hawks, James is averaging 27.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists.

In 14 career games against Atlanta, Davis is averaging 19.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks.

Atlanta is coming off a 116-100 road win against the Washington Wizards, as Trae Young continued his torrid scoring with a 41-point performance. The Hawks have won five of their last seven games.

Young is averaging 37.6 points over the last five games, scoring 38 or more in four of those contests. He has raised his season average to 27 points. His shooting percentage has risen, too, as Young has made 48.6 percent (54 of 111) of his attempts and 53.6 percent of 3s (22 of 41) during that stretch; he’s hitting 42 percent from the floor and 36.8 percent of 3s this season.

Young drilled his 400th career three pointer on Friday, making him the fastest player in NBA history to reach that career total, needing just 159 games.

On Friday, Young scored 10 straight points for the Hawks after the Wizards had cut the lead to 10 and helped re-establish the advantage back to 16 points.

“Thankful for Trae, his composure and his ability to finish the game,” Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce said. “As ugly as the game was, as wild as the game was, we got the win and Trae really closed us out down the stretch when we needed it. He is in attack mode every time he has the basketball.”

The series has been dominated by the Lakers, who lead it 82-49 since the Hawks moved to Atlanta. The Lakers won both games last year and have won seven of the last eight meetings.

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LA LAKERS vs BOSTON
When: 1/30/2021 8:30 PM
Where:

TV: 8:30 PM
LINE: 2
PREDICTION: BOSTON , LA LAKERS

Oddsmakers currently have the BOSTON listed as 2 point favorites versus the LA LAKERS, while the game’s total is sitting at 218.5.

With two games still remaining on their demanding seven-game road trip, the Los Angeles Lakers were forced to reassess their standing after a disappointing loss to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.

“You have nights like this in a long season. We’ll be fine,” coach Frank Vogel said in the aftermath of the 107-92 defeat, the team’s second straight. “None of us are happy with how we played tonight, but we’ll bounce back.”

Bouncing back will be no easy task as the Lakers visit the Boston Celtics in a primetime matchup Saturday night on network television. The longtime rivals have played three games decided by two points or less in the past three seasons, although Boston has won six of the last nine meetings.

The Celtics enter off a setback of their own, failing to beat the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday after coming back from as much as 15 points down. Boston was up 101-99 with less than two minutes remaining but couldn’t hold on in the 110-106 loss.

“Obviously people know what we’re capable of on the defensive end, but we just gotta figure it out,” said forward Jayson Tatum, who had 25 points in the game. “We’ve got more than enough guys that are elite defenders.

“That’s kind of what we hang our hat on being on the Celtics – competing and defending. And honestly, we’re just not doing that right now, so we’ve got to figure it out.”

Overall, Boston has dropped four of its last six games. The team’s projected starting five played together for the first time this season Wednesday after Tatum missed a handful of games earlier this month with COVID-19.

“It’s been an interesting season,” said swingman Jaylen Brown, whose 27.1 points per game average leads the team. “We’ve had guys out, guys hurt. We are just trying to put everything together. Tonight wasn’t our best night.”

Players on the Lakers were singing the same tune Thursday. In the loss to Detroit, Los Angeles scored just 34 points in the second half. LeBron James and Kyle Kuzma paced Los Angeles with 22 points apiece, but the absence of Anthony Davis (bruised right quad) loomed large.

James scored just two points after halftime.

“We got to keep our minds fresh, keep our bodies fresh as much as we can to go out there and put together a complete 48-minute game, or close to 48 minutes,” James said. “Obviously we haven’t done it the last couple of games, and we just got to be better on Saturday.”

After their game against the Celtics, the Lakers will complete their road trip at Atlanta on Monday before returning home for five straight. Boston, on the other hand, will hit the road for a five-game West Coast swing that begins Tuesday at Golden State.

By winning the NBA Finals last season, the Lakers matched the Celtics for most titles in league history at 17. The clubs last met in the Finals in 2010, with Los Angeles coming out victorious in seven games.

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GOLDEN STATE vs LA LAKERS
When: 1/18/2021 10:00 PM
Where:

TV: 10:00 PM
LINE: -9
PREDICTION: LA LAKERS , GOLDEN STATE

Oddsmakers currently have the LA LAKERS listed as -9 point favorites versus the GOLDEN STATE, while the game’s total is sitting at 224.

The Los Angeles Lakers hope to vent three years’ worth of holiday frustration on the visiting Golden State Warriors when the Pacific Division powers of recent years go head-to-head Monday in the nightcap of the NBA’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration.

The Lakers will be playing on the holiday for the fourth consecutive year. They’ve gone winless in the previous three, thumped by a total of 60 points by Memphis, Golden State and Boston.

The 2019 defeat was a 130-111 shellacking at home against the Warriors in which Golden State’s Klay Thompson made NBA history by making his first 10 3-point attempts during a 44-point explosion.

The Los Angeles native, currently out of action while rehabbing a torn Achilles, tied two NBA records that day — most consecutive made 3-pointers to start a game and most consecutive made threes at any point of a game.

That win was one of nine for the Warriors in their last 11 appearances in the MLK Day showcase. In all, they’ve been scheduled on the holiday in 20 of the last 21 years and have gone 18-10 since the NBA began honoring the day with a special made-for-TV schedule in 1986.

The Warriors will be facing the Lakers with LeBron James for the first time on the holiday, but they have plenty of experience against the superstar on the third Monday in January.

As reigning NBA finalists from the previous season, the Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers, led by James, squared off on the King holiday three straight years from 2016-18. Golden State prevailed in those games by 34 points at Cleveland, 35 points at home and 10 points at Cleveland.

James had 16, 20 and 32 points in those games, while Warriors star Stephen Curry countered with 35, 20 and 23.

James declared Saturday that Monday’s appearance means more to him than just a shot at revenge against the Warriors. It’s all about King, he said.

“His name and his words and his legacy still lives on,” James praised. “He’s shining his light on us every day.”

The Lakers have won five in a row, including 112-95 over New Orleans on Friday. It was just the defending champs’ fourth victory in seven home games, whereas they’ve opened the season 7-0 on the road.

James had a 21-point, 11-assist double-double against the Pelicans.

The Lakers haven’t played since Friday, but the Warriors will take the court even more well rested. They were last seen in Denver on Thursday, where they suffered a 114-104 loss to the Nuggets.

A game scheduled for Friday in Phoenix was postponed due to COVID-19 issues within the Suns.

Curry had 35 points on 14-for-23 shooting, including going 5-for-11 on 3-pointers in Denver. But he got little help from his teammates, who combined to hit just 41 percent of their shots, including going 6-for-18 from beyond the arc.

“We’re not really in sync yet,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr observed after his team committed 19 turnovers, including seven by Curry. “And that’s going to take time.”

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LA LAKERS vs MEMPHIS
When: 1/3/2021 6:05 PM
Where:

TV: 6:05 PM
LINE: 10
PREDICTION: MEMPHIS , LA LAKERS

Oddsmakers currently have the MEMPHIS listed as 10 point favorites versus the LA LAKERS, while the game’s total is sitting at 222.5.

The Los Angeles Lakers visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday in the first of two games during a three-day span between the two teams.

The Lakers captured a pair of wins in three days at San Antonio, including Friday’s 109-103 decision.

Anthony Davis had 34 points 11 rebounds and five assists for the Lakers. LeBron James finished with 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his 22nd triple-double with the Lakers, which moved him past Kobe Bryant into sole possession of third place on the franchise’s all-time list. He now trails Magic Johnson (138) and Elgin Baylor (26).

Dennis Schroder contributed 15 points and Kyle Kuzma chipped in 11.

The Lakers, who are second in the NBA in field-goal percentage at 50.2 percent, shot a season-low 40.6 percent against the Spurs. However, a 9-0 run in the final 2:30 allowed them to prevail.

Lakers coach Frank Vogel said it’s crucial his club wins games during sub-par performances.

“I just think we persisted through our struggles, and that’s going to happen from time to time throughout a long regular season,” Vogel said. “You’re going to have some wins that are uglier than others. We knew coming into this season with the nature of the offseason and what not that there would be some ugly nights. The key is can you find a way to win when you’re not at your best. We were able to do that tonight.”

Dillon Brooks scored 21 points, including five 3-pointers, to lead the short-handed Grizzlies past the Hornets 108-93 on Friday in Charlotte. Kyle Anderson had 18 points and a career-best 11 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who only had nine players available for health reasons.

Brandon Clarke added 15 points, Jonas Valanciunas collected 14 points and 10 boards and Gorgui Dieng had 14 points and eight rebounds.

Memphis recorded a season-high 34 assists. Tyus Jones had 12 of them.

“Guys were hitting (shots) off his passes,” Brooks said of Jones. “He was finding the right guys wide open. He was getting a lot of attention on the defensive end. He was making the right plays.”

The Grizzlies feasted on the Hornets in the third-quarter. Brooks scored 10 points in the quarter as the Grizzlies increased a 53-47 halftime advantage to 83-67. Charlotte never got the deficit below double digits.

Memphis has been without point guard Ja Morant (ankle), who is expected to remain sidelined for another month. An ankle injury also forced reserve guard Grayson Allen to miss the Charlotte game. He’s is listed as day-to-day on the injury report.

“We’re a team where it’s next man up,” Brooks said. “Guys are ready. We play hard in practice, training camp. Guys are confident.”

Injuries and illnesses also have impacted the Lakers. Guard Alex Caruso, who did not make the trip, will miss his fourth consecutive game due to the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was forced to leave the Spurs’ game in the third quarter with an ankle sprain. He is listed as day-to-day.

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LA LAKERS vs SAN ANTONIO
When: 1/1/2021 8:00 PM
Where:

TV: 8:00 PM
LINE: 7
PREDICTION: SAN ANTONIO , LA LAKERS

Oddsmakers currently have the SAN ANTONIO listed as 7 point favorites versus the LA LAKERS, while the game’s total is sitting at 230.5.

When San Antonio Spurs assistant Becky Hammon became the first woman to serve as head coach of an NBA team during the regular season Wednesday, she had little time to cherish the milestone after a loss to the visiting Los Angeles Lakers.

“It’s my job to go in there and be focused for those guys and make sure that I’m helping them do the things that will help us win,” Hammon said. “I really have not had time to reflect. I haven’t looked at my phone so I have no idea what is going on outside of AT&T Center tonight.”

Back inside the AT&T Center on Friday, the Spurs will face the Lakers for the second time in three days.

In Wednesday’s meeting, LeBron James celebrated his 36th birthday with 26 points, eight assists and five rebounds as the Lakers rolled to a 121-107 decision. James also scored 10 or more points for the 1,000th consecutive game.

Hammon earned her place in league history after Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was ejected in the second quarter.

“She’s been putting in the work,” James said. “Anytime you put in the work then you’re rewarded with opportunities. … Tonight was a case where she got to step in and show her worth and show her talent and show her love for the game.”

Dennis Schroder scored 21 points, Anthony Davis had 20 and eight rebounds and Wesley Matthews made all six of his 3-pointer attempts for a season-high 18 points for the Lakers. Montrezl Harrell added 10 points and nine rebounds off the bench.

Dejounte Murray had a career-high 29 points with seven rebounds and seven assists for San Antonio, which dropped its second straight game after winning its initial two contests. DeMar DeRozan scored 23 points, Patty Mills contributed 12 and Lonnie Walker IV finished with 11.

The Lakers, who led by as many as 18, took a 63-53 lead at the break and stayed in control the rest of the way. Despite committing 17 turnovers to 10 for the Spurs, the Lakers used their shooting to prevail, converting 56.1 percent from the floor compared to 46 percent for the Spurs.

Los Angeles also hit 14 of 26 3-pointers (53.8 percent) to 10 of 24 (41.7 percent) for San Antonio.

Despite the win, Schroder said the Lakers remain a work in progress with their new additions.

“It’s game by game. We got to get better as a team,” said Schroder, who was dealt to the Lakers by the Oklahoma City Thunder before the season. “We just try to figure each other out. I think it’s going to take a few more games. … I’m excited. I’m going to keep working with (Davis) on the pick-and-rolls, keep talking to LeBron and try to get better each night.”

The night, though, belonged to Hammon.

“It’s a big deal; it’s a substantial moment,” she said. “I say this a lot, but I try not to think about the huge picture and the huge aspect of it because it can get overwhelming.”

A victory, though, would have been even better.

“I would have liked a different outcome,” Hammon said. “Overall, I would have liked to get a win tonight more than anything.”

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