The San Antonio Spurs (45-8) look to extend their six-game winning streak when they take on the Los Angeles Lakers (11-44) at the Staples Center. The game starts at 10:30 pm ET on Friday, Feb. 19 and will air on TWC and FSW.
The Lakers lost to the Cavaliers 120-111 in their last game. Lou Williams was the team’s high scorer, finishing with 28 points. The Spurs, meanwhile, are coming off a 98-96 win over the Magic in their last outing. Kawhi Leonard led the game in scoring with 29 points on 12-for-19 shooting.
Over the last five games, Kobe Bryant has been playing at a high level for the Lakers. During that stretch, he has averaged 25.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steal, and 4.4 three-pointers. On the other side, the Spurs have been led by LaMarcus Aldridge. He has been on fire, averaging 25.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.6 blocks in the same time frame.
The inefficient Lakers offense (29th in the NBA with an offensive efficiency of 98.2) will square off against the top-notch Spurs defense (first in the league with a defensive efficiency of 95.7). The Spurs figure to have the advantage on that end of the court. Moreover, the third-ranked offense of the Spurs (offensive efficiency of 109.9) will try to exploit the 30th-ranked defense of the Lakers (defensive efficiency of 108.9).
The Spurs have won all three contests against the Lakers this season, including a 106-102 victory in their last matchup. Aldridge scored a game-high 26 points.
The Lakers look to improve upon their records of 11-44 Straight Up (SU) and 27-28 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 11-44 SU and 27-28 ATS versus the Western Conference. Over their past 10 games, Los Angeles’s offense has been playing lights out, averaging 106.5 points per game, well over their season average of 96.5.
On the other side, the Spurs head into the game with records of 34-20 ATS and 45-9 SU. Somehow San Antonio managed to go 7-3 ATS over the last 10 games, while having an unimpressive record of 2-8 SU during the same amount of time. San Antonio is the top shooting team in the league, hitting .491 of its shots from the floor. The Spurs are a top-five team in the league at finding the open man with an average of 25.2 assists per game. The Spurs are the top defensive team in the league, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 92.0 points allowed per game. Teams seem to consistently miss shots against the Spurs, who are the third-best team in the league in terms of opponent field goal percentage allowed at .431. The Spurs have established a reputation of cleaning up the defensive glass with 35.2 defensive rebounds per game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
With the Spurs’ last win against Los Angeles, their SU record against the Lakers moves to 8-2 over the last 10 meetings. However, with a 5-4-1 record, the Lakers have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – SA
Notes
Los Angeles typically scores just 95.5 points per home game, worst in the league. San Antonio is the top-ranked team in points allowed on the road, allowing only 93.7 points on average.
In its last game, San Antonio won by a margin of two points. Los Angeles is 1-6 in games decided by three points or less. San Antonio has a 3-3 record in close games.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Spurs are 39-3 on the season. When the Lakers score fewer than 100, they are a subpar 5-33.
When giving up 100 points or more, the San Antonio Spurs have a 6-5 record. When reaching the century mark, the Los Angeles Lakers have a losing record of 6-11.
Ranked third, the Spurs have an offensive rating of 109.9. The Lakers, on the other hand, rank 30th with a defensive rating of 108.9.
The San Antonio Spurs have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking first in the league with a FG% of 49.1%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Los Angeles Lakers have an abysmal 1-19 record.
The Los Angeles Lakers average 24.0 three point attempts per game, while the San Antonio Spurs attempt 18.0 per game. When attempting 25 or more three pointers in a game, Los Angeles is an abysmal 5-24, while San Antonio is an even 1-1.
San Antonio ranks at the top of the league with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.96. Los Angeles ranks 27th with an A/TO of 1.37.
The Los Angeles Lakers rebound 43.0 times per game and are ranked 17th. Ranked ninth, the San Antonio Spurs rebound 44.6 times per game.
The San Antonio Spurs rank 24th in offensive rebounding, while the Los Angeles Lakers rank 21st in defensive rebounding.
San Antonio is one of the top teams in forced turnovers, with opponents averaging a TOV% of 14.9% (ranked ninth). Los Angeles has a subpar record of 4-16 SU this season when its TOV% reaches 14.9% or greater.
