While both teams are missing key star players, many are still looking at Thursday night’s showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets as a potential NBA Finals preview. The Nets are rolling into Thursday night’s game as the winners of the four straight, with the team thriving after Kyrie Irving shared that he wanted James Harden to be the team’s lead ball-handler.
The Nets have thrived on their Western Conference road trip as a result, including Tuesday night’s thrilling 24-point comeback in Phoenix against the Suns. Thursday’s game tips off at 10 p.m. ET and will air nationally on TNT.
The lines, courtesy of BetMGM
- Point spread: Lakers -2.5
- Money line: Lakers -140 / Nets +115
- Over-under: 230.5
Place your legal, online sports bets in VA, CO, IA, IN, NJ, PA, TN and WV at BetMGM.
Advice and prediction
We don’t have a ton of information regarding how the Lakers do in situations like Thursday. Yes, they are 5-1 so far this season in games without Anthony Davis but they’ve been rather mediocre on their homecourt relative to expectations and none of those wins for the Lakers without Davis have come against teams above .500.
Meanwhile, even though Durant has been in and out of the lineup, it appears as though the Nets have found an identity. Harden leading the way offensively has helped set everything in order and over the last few games, they’ve shown they are capable of enough good defense in stretches to win. Harden has also become a godsend for Nets center DeAndre Jordan, who once again is a serious threat at the rim thanks to Harden’s passes.
Without Anthony Davis, the Lakers will be even more vulnerable to Harden’s play in the pick and roll. LeBron may very well put up 45 in an MVP moment to make me feel stupid, but the Nets look a lot more comfortable in their non-KD identity than the Lakers have looked lately without Anthony Davis.
Prediction: Nets 125, Lakers 120
