After coming off losses yesterday, Western Conference giants Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz will battle tomorrow. Lakers started off their bubble campaign with a win over rivals Clippers. But they couldn’t hold on to their momentum, falling to defending champions, Toronto Raptors. The Jazz started with a close win against the Pelicans but got outclassed by the Thunder in their second game.
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Both teams will head into the game with the full roster at their disposal. LeBron James and the Lakers will be hungry to shake off the loss against the Raptors. They have beaten the Jazz twice already in the regular season and will be keen to have a complete sweep. The Lakers need two wins out of their next six games to secure the first seed and will want to avoid any slips.
Can the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Utah Jazz?
Despite their win against the Clippers, the Lakers didn’t look convincing. They got exposed against the Raptors, high and their inability to win when Anthony Davis doesn’t perform was highlighted. With this in mind, the Lakers will be going all out against the Jazz. On paper, the Lakers are much better than the Jazz. Rudy Gobert will be able to guard Davis however, they don’t have an answer for LeBron. Royce O’Neal and Joe Ingles are above average defenders, but they will have to be at their best to stop King James.
As for the Jazz, they will be hoping the Lakers are unable to contain Donovan Mitchell. He hasn’t been in the best form, so the Jazz need him to fire for any shot at victory. Jordan Clarkson’s scoring off the bench will continue to be key for the Jazz. He will be keen to show out against his former team and try to make them regret for letting him go.
This fixture will be more crucial to the Jazz. They are currently tied with the Rockets and are pushing to ascend into the top half of the playoffs. They will have to be at their best to get a first win against the Lakers since March 2019.
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