The Los Angeles Lakers started to put things together after the trade deadline, but their strong finish to the year was only good enough to host Game 1 of the Play-In Tournament, not avoid it.
The 43-39 Lakers host the 42-40 Minnesota Timberwolves with the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference and a matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies on the line.
The Timberwolves also have been pretty hot since getting Karl-Anthony Towns back on the floor, but not as host as Rudy Gobert and Kyle Anderson were at each other on the sidelines in their final regular season game, a 113-108 win over New Orleans. Gobert will be suspended for the Play-In game, but it’s only a one game absence.
The Lakers just beat the Wolves, 123-111 on March 31, but Minnesota won the season series, 2-1. Let’s take a look at the odds for Game 1 of the Western Conference Play-In Tournament.
Timberwolves vs. Lakers odds, spread and total
Timberwolves vs. Lakers prediction and pick
Not only did Rudy Gobert throw a punch at Kyle Anderson, but Jaden McDaniels also threw a punch at a wall and is now out for the game with a hand injury.
Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert are essentially the big three on the Minnesota team, but McDaniels and Naz Reid are two of their most important players and Reid is out indefinitely with a wrist injury. This is going to be a short handed T’Wolves team.
The Lakers are 9-2 in their last 11 games, the best record in the NBA over that stretch and they have a net rating of 7.1 in that time. Further, since the All-Star break they are No. 4 in the NBA in defensive rating.
Meanwhile, Minnesota is fourth in two-point field goal percentage, 56.8% on the season and the Lakers are 13th in opponent two-point percentage. With Gobert out, that takes away a great screener in pick-and-roll and whatever he would have cleaned up on the offensive glass.
Minnesota and Towns will be firing away from the outside and the Lakers are No. 2 in the NBA in opponent three-point shooting.
The Lakers have been playing as well as any team in the NBA, now that Gobert is out and Minnesota has no depth around Edwards and Towns, I think LA cruises.
Pick: Lakers -7.5 (-110)
Follow all Josh Yourish’s bets HERE
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
