Los Angeles Lakers vs Atlanta Hawks Prediction: Hurt Lakers take on the slumping Hawks

NBA is on and this has been a fascinating season where we have seen records break at an electric pace. However, a lot is still waiting to be unwrapped as we will hit the midseason window and the fun is going to multiply from here on. Considering that, let us jump into the game between the LA Lakers and the Atlanta Hawks.

The Lakers come into this game after completing an impressive 112:109 win against the Miami Heat as Dennis Schroeder had season-high 32 points. This was a rare occasion this season when the Lakers won three games in a row but still have an underwhelming record of 21 losses and just 17 wins. They have been playing without Anthony Davis for around three weeks and there have been times when LeBron has had to score 40+ to ensure a win. The Lakers’ long-range shooting is one of the worst in the league and their defense has been terrible too, although they have done much better lately. The Lakers are now dealing with injuries to main rotation players and this has only worsened their woes.

The Hawks come into this game after defeating the Kings 120:117 as John Collins had 22 points and 12 rebounds outing. This loss cut the flow of a four-game losing streak and the Hawks now have 20 losses and 18 wins. They began the season with seven wins and three losses but have lost 17 out of 28 games since then. They are one of the worst long-range shooting teams and Trae Young has had massive struggles from there. While their perimeter defense is tight with the arrival of all-around talent DeJounte Murray, their inside defense hasn’t been up-to-the-mark. One major reason for the downturn has been a weak frontcourt as both John Collins and Clint Capela have been outmatched many teams. Will the Hawks make some trades to improve matters.

The Lakers have performed well lately and their defense has improved a bit but the injury list is tall for this game. One of the major problems for both the squads here has been the long-range shooting and they lack the control to survive high-scorers continuously. While the Hawks look deeper than LA, their play has left the fans in shambles lately. But I do see them spin a web and come up with a win. I predict a scoreline of 120:115 in favor of Atlanta.