Lakers vs Spurs Preview: Winning Streaks Must Perish
The Lakers take a two-game winning streak into San Antonio where they’re likely going to get destroyed by the Spurs
Coming into the last two games for the Los Angeles Lakers, the predominant narrative was that the Lakers needed to pick up a win in one of the two contests to avoid an extremely length losing-skid with a tough end to the month of February on the schedule. The Lakers ended a 10-game losing streak by starting a two-game winning streak, though. But that looks like it could end prematurely on Saturday night against the San Antonio Spurs.
The Spurs have already handled the Lakers twice this season, once at home and once on the road. Though Tim Duncan could very well miss his seventh-consecutive game and though Manu Ginobili is out with a groin injury, San Antonio still clearly holds a talent advantage over the Lakers with the likes of Kawhi Leonard and missed Lakers free agency target LaMarcus Aldridge.
However, the wins in the last two games for Los Angeles bring to mind the question of if the talent discrepancy will matter if Kobe Bryant can continue playing like it’s 2006 all over again. Bryant has been playing well for about the past month when he’s been on the floor, but has really turned it up with throwback performances as the Lakers have started their two-game winning streak.
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Even more curious for the Lakers is the fact that they are 2-0 since the front office allegedly handed down an ultimatum to Byron Scott saying that his job was on the line over the remainder of the regular season. Since then, there’s been noticeable changes to the energy and confidence of the Lakers, as well as more time in the rotation for D’Angelo Russell, Tarik Black, and—to a lesser degree seeing how he was already starting—Julius Randle.
The question, however, is whether any of these recent trends or changes are going to matter against the Spurs. While the Lakers have played recently like a team that could at least keep things respectable, there’s no version of the Lakers that fans should be favorable about going on the road to San Antonio. That’s where opposing teams’s winning streaks and solid play go to die, which is what should be expected on Saturday night.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs
Date: Saturday, Feb. 6
Start Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
Location: San Antonio, TX
Arena: AT&T Center
TV Info: TWC Sportsnet
Live Stream: NBA League Pass
Radio: Here
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Spurs -16
Moneyline: Spurs -3500, Lakers +1500
O/U: 203
Injury Report
Los Angeles Lakers: Larry Nance Jr. (knee)—Out, Kobe Bryant (shoulder)—Questionable
San Antonio Spurs: Manu Ginobili (groin)—Out, Tim Duncan (knee)—Questionable
Next: Julius Randle Turning Corner Offensively
Prediction
The Spurs are going to win this game. What fans have to hope for, though, is that the Lakers continue to show the same confidence and fight that they have in recent games. That’s a much taller task against even a short-handed Spurs team, but with how Kobe and the young guys have performed as of late, there’s hope that it can ultimately happen.
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