Brooklyn Nets at Los Angeles Lakers Preview
The Los Angeles Lakers (47-26) take on the Brooklyn Nets (17-56) on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers are looking for their second straight victory and have won 13 of their last 15 games. They are on a roll at the right time and facing a Nets team that will be looking for one of the top picks in the draft.
Here are the keys for LA to pick up a win over Brooklyn.
Luka Doncic Continues His Dominance
Luka Doncic has been on a tear of late, making a case for MVP. In his last 10 games, Doncic is averaging 39.1 points, eight rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 2.4 steals per game. He is shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 37.4 percent from three.
Doncic is leading the Lakers on offense at a high level. He has also become more active on the defensive end of the floor.
He is the engine for the Lakers, and they will need him to play at an elite level once again.
Bench Minutes
LA will also need contributions off the bench, especially with starting guard Marcus Smart out. Rookie forward Adou Thiero is also out with an injury.
The Lakers may call on Bronny James again with Smart out. James played 13 minutes against the Indiana Pacers, finishing with four points, a rebound, an assist, two steals, and a block while shooting 2-4 from the field.
Outside of James, they definitely rely on Luke Kennard to impact the game. Kennard has been a great role player since they acquired him at the trade deadline. In 23 games with the purple and gold, Kennard is averaging 8.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while shooting 55 percent from the floor and 45.8 percent from deep.
The Lakers are heavy favorites to win this game, and if Doncic and the bench show up, they should win comfortably, extending their lead of the three seed in the Western Conference.
