Los Angeles Lakers: Game-by-game predictions for the final eight games

DENVER, COLORADO - FEBRUARY 12: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers plays the Denver Nuggets in the third quarter at Pepsi Center on February 12, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO - FEBRUARY 12: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers plays the Denver Nuggets in the third quarter at Pepsi Center on February 12, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
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Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers schedule for the final eight games of the 2020 season has been announced.

The Los Angeles Lakers are returning to action on Thursday, July 30, and now we know who the Lakers are going to play in their final eight games before the postseason begins.

Initially, it was speculated that the league was simply going to pick up where it left off in the schedule to finish out the 2020 season, just skipping over the teams that were not invited to Orlando. While there is some overlap, that is not the idea that the league went with.

Instead, the Lakers’ slate of eight games (with dates) is the following:

  • July 30: Los Angeles Clippers
  • August 1: Toronto Raptors
  • August 3: Utah Jazz
  • August 5: Oklahoma City Thunder
  • August 6: Houston Rockets
  • August 8: Indiana Pacers
  • August 10: Denver Nuggets
  • August 13: Sacramento Kings

The Lakers-Clippers game is part of a doubleheader alongside a Jazz-Pelicans game that is going to kickoff the resumption of the season.

Just as we did with the old, rumored schedule, here are our game-by-game predictions for the Lakers’ final eight games.

1. Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers — Win

Any Clipper fan that is reading this might call it bias but this is coming from an unbiased source — I think the Los Angeles Lakers are better suited for this sprint to the NBA Finals and that is going to show in the first game of the resumption.

I think it should be concerning or the Clippers that their best lineup has not played often together. Sure, you could make the case that we have not seen the best version of the team yet, but they also have not developed the same kind of on-court chemistry that LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the rest of the Lakers’ roster has.

Now, with the hiatus, all of those load management games do not really mean anything. The advantage is taken away and now all that is left is the disadvantage it caused.

I think the Lakers look to make a statement and even up the season series with the Clippers.

2. Los Angeles Lakers vs. Toronto Raptors — Loss

In our first prediction, we had the Lakers losing to the Raptors and I think the same will happen in this prediction. After a hard-fought game with the Clippers, the Raptors are going to come into this game with something to prove and narrowly edge out the Raptors.

The Raptors are one of the best three-point shooting teams in the league (they rank sixth in three-point percentage and fourth in three-pointers made per game), which will help them in this matchup.

With no Avery Bradley, the Raptors definitely have the shooting edge on the perimeter. They will outshoot the Lakers to a four-point victory.