LA Lakers vs LA Clippers Prediction & Match Preview - March 3rd, 2022 | NBA Season 2021-22
The LA Lakers will take on the LA Clippers at Crypto.com Arena in a battle between the two Los Angeles teams on Thursday night. This will be the final regular-season clash between the two teams, with the season series currently at 3-0 in favor of the Clippers.
The Lakers have had a disastrous season so far, with their off-season plans not taking the expected trajectory. They’ve found it difficult to close out games despite periodically showing signs of coming together, and Anthony Davis being in and out with injuries has further hurt the franchise.
The LA Lakers (27-34) are currently ninth in the West, 4.5 games behind the LA Clippers, who have had their own set of troubles. Looking at the numbers, LeBron James has been exceptional, but their position in the standings depicts a different story. Russell Westbrook has struggled to come into his own and the Lakers desperately need someone apart from James to be their aggressor.
The Clippers, meanwhile, have been the victims of an injury-plagued season. They started the season without Kawhi Leonard and have now lost Paul George as well. But the team has been able to gather some momentum in recent weeks and win games against strong opponents as they try to secure a spot in the playoffs.
The LA Clippers (33-31) are eighth in the West, trailing the Minnesota Timberwolves by 1.5 games. Reggie Jackson, Terance Mann and Amir Coffey have shouldered added responsibility in the absence of George to help the team’s offense as the regular-season nears its end.
Match Details
Fixture: LA Lakers vs LA Clippers | NBA Season 2021-22.
Date & Time: Thursday, March 3; 10 PM ET (Friday, March 4; 8:30 AM IST).
Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California.
LA Lakers Preview
The LA Lakers have been one of the poorest performing big teams so far this season.
They rank 14th in terms of points scored, averaging 110.4 points and 24th with respect to points allowed, averaging 112.4 points. Even with a well-known defensive mind in Frank Vogel coaching the team, the defense has been abysmal to say the least.
With just 21 games left in their regular-season, the Lakers cannot afford to lose any more games as they’re on the brink of missing the playoffs. LeBron James is putting up excellent numbers, but with the losses mounting, the team needs to come together collectively to rack up some positive results.
Key Player – LeBron James
Statistically, LeBron James has been the only reason the Lakers have been afloat in a rather disappointing regular-season. James is in third place in the league in scoring, averaging 28.9 points, along with eight rebounds and 6.3 assists per game, this season.
Over the last five games, James has averaged 27.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and five assists, but could secure a win for his team in only one of those contests.
LeBron James is averaging 29/9/6 on 52% shooting since January 9.
The Lakers are 6-15 in that span. https://t.co/mi3toQGcd3
With that being said, it is unfortunate that James, who is in his 19th season, is still shouldering a major chunk of the team’s responsibilities. With Anthony Davis still out, Russell Westbrook and Malik Monk are the two players that should look to be more aggressive. If the duo can find some consistency, the Lakers could close out the regular season on a high.
LA Lakers Predicted Lineup
Point Guard: Russell Westbrook | Shooting Guard: Malik Monk | Small Forward: LeBron James | Power Forward: Stanley Johnson | Center: Dwight Howard.
LA Clippers Preview
At the start of the season, the LA Clippers were looking good, as Paul George was thriving in the absence of Kawhi Leonard.
But now, the Clippers have played 32 games without him as he recovers from an elbow injury and have had to rely on their role players. They’re sitting on a four-game winning streak as they suit up to face the LA Lakers, with quite a few tough fixtures still left in their campaign.
The under-manned LA Clippers have 18 games left in the regular season and are likely to feature in the Play-In tournament. Finding a winning formula within the current roster would be their goal in the upcoming games, as they await Paul George’s return before the regular season wraps up.
Key Player – Ivica Zubac
Although Ivica Zubac had a poor outing in their last win against the LA Lakers, he is in the perfect position to exploit the Lakers’ weakness in the center position. The Lakers have been rotating a lot, playing either LeBron James or Dwight Howard in the center position, with Zubac having a size advantage in both cases.
game-winning/saving block by Ivica Zubac, his 6th of the night. https://t.co/oZIDN1HF7Z
Ivica Zubac has stepped up in scoring as well and is averaging a double-double with 13.4 points and 11.4 rebounds per game in his last five outings. Partnering him up with Reggie Jackson and Terance Mann to run a few pick-and-roll plays could really benefit the LA Clippers down the stretch in this contest.
LA Clippers Predicted Lineup
Point Guard: Reggie Jackson | Shooting Guard: Terance Mann | Small Forward: Nicolas Batum | Power Forward: Marcus Morris | Center: Ivica Zubac.
Lakers vs Clippers Match Prediction
The LA Lakers stand a better chance of winning, purely based on the superstar firepower they possess. LeBron James and Russell Westbrook will look to set the tone from the start of the game.
However, the Clippers have a stronger bench, who have been scoring effectively to provide support to the starting five. They also enter this match-up with momentum, having won six of their last seven games.
In the same stretch, the Lakers have managed just a solitary win and come into this contest on a three-game losing streak.
Where to watch LA Lakers vs LA Clippers?
The LA Lakers' match against the LA Clippers will be broadcast on TNT. You can also catch the action live on the NBA League Pass.