The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers meet once again at the Crypto. com Arena on Monday night in their fourth — and possibly final — meeting of the season. The Lakers lead the season series 2-1 and can win the season match up with a win in front of their home crowd.
Recent Form and Momentum
The Lakers are playing with a surge of momentum, winning 17 of their last 21 games dating to mid-January. Their most recent win came in a 106-103 victory over the Clippers on Saturday, and they remained formidable foes for their city rivals. Behind the scoring machines of Luka Doncic and LeBron James, the Lakers are continuing to show promise, albeit while suffering injuries to several key players.
Doncic, who showed up for his 26th birthday with 31 points in his first brush with the Los Angeles rivalry, has easily adapted to the team’s system. At the same time, LeBron James continues to be at an elite level, pouring in 28 points in the last meeting, his sixth straight with at least 25. The Lakers’ strong strides have a helped put a five-game cushion between them and the Golden State Warriors, who are in seventh place, further solidifying their case for an automatic playoff spot. With two fewer wins than second-place Denver Nuggets and two fewer played, the Lakers know they have a real chance to move up even higher in the Western Conference standings.
The Clippers, on the other hand, have been stumbling in recent weeks. They went into the All-Star break with three straight wins, but have been unable to regain that form, losing three in a row to the Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, and Detroit Pistons, before finally picking up a bounce-back victory over the Chicago Bulls. But their loss to the Lakers on Saturday has created a precarious spot in the standings. At 32-27, they are still sixth in the Western Conference, but three teams directly below them also have 32 wins, and their hold on an automatic playoff spot is slipping.
Key Team News and Predicted Lineups
The Lakers will be without Maxi Kleber, who is working his way back from foot surgery and is at least a month away from returning. Rui Hachimura (left patellar tendinopathy) remains unavailable and Austin Reaves is a serious doubt having sustained a calf injury. Jordan Goodwin, who had an ankle issue against the Clippers, probably will not play Monday.
For the Clippers, leading scorer Norman Powell sat out the last meeting with a knee problem and is doubtful. Another guard, Trentyn Flowers, 19, has a sore wrist and could be unavailable.
Projected Starting Lineups:
Los Angeles Lakers: Doncic, Knecht; James, Finney-Smith; Hayes
Los Angeles Clippers: Harden, Dunn; Leonard, Jones Jr.; Zubac
Prediction: Lakers Win By Double Digits
The Lakers are riding high and won’t be easy to beat on their floor. And while the Clippers should give them a run for their money, the Lakers’ offensive weapons are too strong and the gap between these two teams has only widened, leading to another L.A. victory. Expect the Lakers to win by 10+ points and to extend their streak in this intense city rivalry.
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