NBA Scrimmage Today: LeBron James-led Lakers in action early, while undermanned Clippers go up against Wizards
NBA scrimmages are now going on in full swing, and each team has played a game in the NBA bubble. Teams will hope to use these scrimmages in order to get accustomed to the foreign conditions of the arenas. Today, we have six NBA scrimmages spread throughout the day.
The first two scrimmages are between the LA Lakers and the Orlando Magic, and the Milwaukee Bucks and the Sacramento Kings.
The only home team, the Magic, will hope to put up a good show but have an uphill challenge against one of the favorites to win it all - the Lakers. LeBron James and Anthony Davis will hope to keep their win streak going and get more time on the court. The Lakers would also hope that Alex Caruso will be available, after a slight back contusion left him out of the previous scrimmage.
The Milwaukee Bucks are overwhelming favorites against the Sacramento Kings, who are missing several key players. Giannis Antetokounmpo will likely put up another great performance to send a message to the rest of the league that he is not pulling any punches. This scrimmage may also be an opportunity for Eric Bledsoe to get some game time and find his rhythm prior to the start of the season.
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Miami Heat hope to have Bam Adebayo playing in today's NBA scrimmage
In the next two NBA scrimmages, we have the Miami Heat taking on the Utah Jazz, and the Brooklyn Nets taking on the San Antonio Spurs.
The Heat seemed to be in cruise control for a major part of their first scrimmage against the Kings and will hope to carry the momentum forward. The return of Bam Adebayo and Kendrick Nunn to their lineup will definitely be a boost for the players.
The Utah Jazz will be looking to put their defeat against the Phoenix Suns behind them and adjust to the new arena, as they go up against one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
The Nets and the Spurs are undermanned due to injuries to key players. Both teams lost their first scrimmage earlier this week and will look forward to gaining some momentum with a victory.
The Nets, who are without many important players, are still likely to make it to the playoffs due to their seeding before the hiatus. The Spurs, on the other hand, must battle against the Grizzlies, the Pelicans and the Trail Blazers in order to clinch a playoff berth.
Clippers will have to dig deep without bench stars in today's NBA scrimmage
The LA Clippers take on the Washington Wizards, in what should be an easy match-up for the title favorite Clippers in today's NBA scrimmage. However, the absence of Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell will definitely slow down their plans of getting into rhythm before the season restarts.
In the last NBA scrimmage of the day, the Denver Nuggets take on the New Orleans Pelicans. Both teams are fresh off wins and would like to keep the engine running.
We hope to see more Bol Bol action and the 'tall ball' lineup from the Nuggets. The Pelicans, on the other hand, would like to use this as an opportunity to showcase their strength without Zion Williamson, who has just returned to the NBA bubble.
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