The Timberwolves are 0-3 in their last three home games, and 0-4 ATS in their last four home games. Part of Minnesota’s struggles recently has been their inability to protect home court. Davis and James have built a strong connection since teaming up in LA and will be a strong test for the Minnesota defense who has allowed 48.0 points in the paint in recent games, which is where both players thrive on the court. With him out of the lineup, we may see another vintage night from Lebron, and even the potential for Anthony Davis to break out of his shell as he has been having a below-average year by his standards. No Westbrook, No ProblemĪs mentioned above, part of the Lakers’ issues this season has been turnovers at the hands of Russell Westbrook. With Lebron James likely running the point often in this game over Westbrook, I expect better looks for the Lakers offense as he is one of the top passers in the league. In most cases, I would give the nod to any team playing the Lakers as Russell Westbrook is among the top guards in the league that commits turnovers, but without him in the lineup in this game, we may witness one of the cleanest games for turnovers in the Lakers’ end. The Lakers and Timberwolves average over 15 turnovers per game, which has them in the bottom five teams as far as taking care of the ball. A major reason that they are fast-paced is due to their high turnover rates this season. Minnesota sits 5th for pace, averaging 104.1 possessions a game, and has been the second fastest team over their last three games. The Lakers still claim the top spot as the fastest team, averaging 106.5 possessions per game. This matchup has the makings to be a fast-paced and high-scoring affair, as both teams sit in the top 5 for fastest-paced teams. On defense, the team is in the bottom half of the league, giving up 109.3 PPG. Minnesota finds themselves in the middle of the pack with the 12th best offense, scoring 108.6 PPG. The Timberwolves are led by Karl-Anthony Towns, who is averaging 24.3 PPG and leads the team in assists with 9.0 per game. At 13-15, the Timberwolves are in the midst of another subpar season, but as they currently sit in the west, they would have a spot in the play-in tournament if the season ended today. Last Sunday, the team got their first win in almost three weeks and on Wednesday improved to a two-win streak, beating the Nuggets 124-107.
The Timberwolves started the month of December with five straight losses. Defensively, the team allows 111.2 PPG, making them near dead even on both sides of the ball with a -0.1-point differential. As a team, the Lakers score 111.1 PPG, which is tied for 5th best with the Kings and Grizzlies.
The Lakers are led offensively by Lebron James, who off an injury, has had multiple 30+ point games over the past few weeks and is averaging 26.1 PPG. As Covid-19 continues to sweep across all major sports, the team will be without major contributors like Russell Westbrook and Dwight Howard in Friday’s game. Last time on the floor, the Lakers were saved by an unlikely hero as rookie Austin Reaves hit a three-pointer in overtime with less than one second on the clock to steal a road win in Dallas. While overall having an inconsistent season, the Lakers sit 6th in the western conference and have ground to make up if they have hopes of avoiding the play-in tournament.
The Los Angeles Lakers enter Friday with some new life as they are winners of three straight. Minnesota Timberwolves: No injuries to report. Los Angeles Lakers: F Anthony Davis *Probable* (Knee), G Avery Bradley *Out* (Covid), F Lebron James *Probable* (Abdominal), G Russell Westbrook *Out* (Covid), G Malik Monk *Out* (Covid), C Dwight Howard *Out* (Covid), G Talen Horton-Tucker *Out* (Covid), G Kendrick Nunn *Out* (Knee), F Trevor Ariza *Out* (Ankle) Minnesota Timberwolves: PG Patrick Beverley, SG D’Angelo Russell, SF Antony Edwards, PF Jarred Vanderbilt, C Karl-Anthony Towns Key Injuries Los Angeles Lakers: PG Rajon Rondo, SG Austin Reaves, SF Wayne Ellington, PF Lebron James, C Anthony Davis Power Rating: PK Probable Starting Lineups Point Spread: LAL +1/MIN -1 (Opened at 1 at Bovada - Deposit $500 and get $250 FREE!)
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