The battle of Los Angeles continues between the Clippers (30-31) and the Lakers (27-31) on ESPN this Friday evening. Both teams won their last game prior to the All-Star break, and the Clippers are currently ahead of the Lakers for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Friday, February 25, 2022 – 10:00 PM EST at Crypto.com Arena
The Lakers (26-32 ATS) are a 1-point favorite over the Clippers (30-31 ATS) at BMR’s top-rated sportsbooks. The Lakers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games, but they did lose by a single point to the Clippers on February 3, so another tight game is expected.
Season Series: Clippers Lead 2-0
There has been plenty of attention paid to the injuries for the Lakers this season to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But the Clippers come in with a better record despite getting zero games out of superstar Kawhi Leonard (ACL) and Paul George (elbow) has missed more games (35) than he’s played (26) this year. The Clippers are a respectable 16-19 in games without both George and Leonard this season.
When these teams met in early December, the Clippers used their superior free throw shooting to sneak past the Lakers in a 119-115 final despite the Lakers winning the rebound battle 43-34 and both teams shooting 50% from the field. Davis (27) and James (23) combined for 50 points in the loss.
Just three weeks ago, the Clippers again survived the Lakers in a tough fourth quarter to win 111-110. Marcus Morris Sr. hit a clutch three with 18 seconds left to tie his season highs in points (29) and made threes (six). Playing without James, Davis had a monster game with 30 points and 17 rebounds, including a go-ahead dunk with 12 seconds left. But Reggie Jackson (25 points) got the last laugh with a game-winning shot that Davis was not able to match.
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The Clippers were only 6-of-11 from the free-throw line in the rematch, but they had three players score at least 20 points. Russell Westbrook struggled with his shooting again, finishing 7-of-18 from the field. But James is back for this one.
Recent Play
The Clippers have some very streaky, unpredictable players in Reggie Jackson and Marcus Morris Sr., it makes sense that the Clippers have not won or lost more than three games in a row since the middle of December. The Clippers scored a season-high 142 points in their final game before the All-Star break, but that was a rout against Houston, the worst defense in the NBA.
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At 37 years old, LeBron James is still an incredibly consistent producer on the court. Despite missing 17 games to various injuries, James still leads all NBA players this season with 19 games of at least 30 points, five rebounds, and five assists. LeBron has scored at least 25 points in 23 straight games, the longest streak of his illustrious career.
But the Lakers are only 10-13 in those games as the construction of a roster ready to compete for the 2011 NBA Finals in 2022 has not worked out so far. Worse, Davis is going to be out again with a foot injury suffered in the team’s last game against Utah, another fourth-quarter comeback led by James’ 15 points.
The Lakers may not have the right stuff for a deep playoff run this season, but James is enough to get what should at least be another close, competitive game with their Los Angeles rivals.
Prediction
It is disappointing that we will have seen one game in the last two seasons between these teams with James, Davis, Leonard, and George all active. But with two games this season decided by a total of five points, it is hard to say anyone has a big advantage either way in this matchup. If George was playing, I’d be all on the Clippers. If Davis was playing, I’d be much more confident in the Lakers. But as it is, I am going to trust James and the Lakers to come out of the All-Star break with a win for your Friday NBA picks.
NBA Pick: Lakers -1 (-105) with Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
