The Atlanta Hawks head to the Staples Center to take on the Los Angeles Lakers. The game starts at 10:30 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 4 and will air on ESP, FxS and TWC.
The Lakers are expecting a better outcome after their 117-107 loss to the Nuggets on Wednesday. D’Angelo Russell was the game’s leading scorer, contributing 24 points. The Hawks, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 109-105 loss at the hands of the Warriors on Tuesday. Paul Millsap had a team-high 19 points.
Over the last five games, Russell has taken his game to another level for the Lakers, averaging 23.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.6 steals, and 3.8 three-pointers. Al Horford has also upped his play in the same span, averaging 17.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 2.6 blocks, and 1.2 three-pointers while leading the Hawks.
The ineffective Lakers offense (29th in the NBA with an offensive efficiency of 99.8) will square off against the top-notch Hawks defense (second in the league with a defensive efficiency of 100.3). The Hawks figure to have the advantage on that end of the court.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Hawks winning the first matchup 100-87. Horford had a stellar game with 16 points, nine rebounds, five assists, one steal, one block, and one three-pointer.
The Lakers come into this game 12-50 Straight Up (SU) and 30-32 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 12-50 SU and 30-32 ATS against teams from the Eastern Conference.
Over on the other bench, the Hawks head into the game with records of 29-30-2 ATS and 33-28 SU. Against the Western Conference, Atlanta is 33-28 SU and 29-30-2 ATS. Defenses have a tough time accounting for every player when up against the Hawks, who are known for distributing the ball with 25.5 assists per game. The last 10 games have really brought the worst out of the Hawks on the defensive end. They allowed 112.6 points per game during that span, which is higher than their season average of 99.8. Atlanta makes opponents pay for turning the ball over, ranking second in points off turnovers with an average of 19.3 per game.
With the Hawks’ last win against Los Angeles, Atlanta moved closer to evening up its record against Los Angeles. It now stands at 4-6 SU over the last 10 meetings. The Lakers also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – Atl
Notes
Atlanta ranks 15th in points per game with 102.3, while Los Angeles ranks 28th in points allowed with an average of 107.2 given up.
Atlanta puts up an average of 101.4 points per away game (ranked 12th). Los Angeles ranks 22nd in points allowed per home game with 103.8.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Atlanta Hawks are a solid 22-9. In games where they score fewer than 100 points, the Los Angeles Lakers have an abysmal record of 5-34.
Both Atlanta and Los Angeles have losing records when they allow and score at least 100 points, respectively. The Hawks are 11-19 in the former situation, and the Lakers are 7-16 in the latter.
The Lakers have a defensive rating of 110.2 (ranked 30th), while the Hawks rank 18th for their offensive rating of 103.1.
Atlanta has an average field goal percentage of 45.8% (ranked eighth). Los Angeles is an underachieving 4-35 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
Los Angeles averages 24.0 three point attempts per game, and Atlanta attempts 27.0 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Lakers have a subpar 6-27 record while the Hawks have a 16-23 record.
Los Angeles has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.40 this season (ranked 26th). Atlanta ranks higher with an A/TO of 1.73 (ranked eighth).
The Los Angeles Lakers rank 12th in offensive rebounding, while the Atlanta Hawks rank 17th in defensive rebounding.
The Atlanta Hawks average .0 steals per game (ranked first). The Los Angeles Lakers have an underachieving 12-50 record when they allow at least steals.
