LeBron James’ 10+ point streak is no more, Austin Reaves is establishing himself as one of the more dangerous drivers in the league, and the backcourt in Philadelphia has the city buzzing about their future. Yes, it’s a football Sunday, but this game should be a fun watch with high-end talent littering the court.
76ers vs. Lakers Prediction
The thought is that we could have all the stars in action for this one, as both teams have at least the next two days off as a result of the NBA Cup.
The Lakers are 5-1 this season in games in which James has played this season, and that’s with him being held to 13 or fewer points in five of six. Reaves has taken a leap toward superstardom this season, and we’ve seen it on full display in his last two games (80 points on 22-39 shooting and 18 assists).
Along with Luka Doncic (expected back after a DNP as a result of the birth of a child), the dribble penetration of these stars have opened things up from the inside out: Los Angeles is converting a league-high 61% of their two-point attempts and thus holding one of the most consistent offenses in the game.
MORE: NBA Power Rankings
For Philly, Joel Embiid sat on the second night of a back-to-back Friday, and the 6ers don’t take the floor again, after tonight, until Friday. The big man is likely to suit up tonight, and when he’s active, this team looks different.
You could argue that there is some downside with him clogging the lane for the driving guards and/or settling too much for jumpers, but at the very least, he gets to the line, and that has multiple benefits. Last season, Philadelphia ranked third in percentage of points scored from the stripe, but they are no better than league average thus far. The Lakers aren’t the deepest of teams, so the FTs not only put points on the board, but put the LA rotations at risk should foul trouble occur to the front court.
The Tyrese Maxey/VJ Edgecombe tandem should allow the home team to stay within reach for the majority of this game, but their recent issues with turnovers (their rate is up 11.4% over their past nine games) figures to be too much to overcome.
Los Angeles snaps Philadelphia’s three-game win streak with a 119-107 victory.
76ers vs. Lakers How to Watch
- Date: Sunday, Dec. 7
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Xfinity Mobile Arena
- How to Watch (TV): NBC Sports Philadelphia
76ers vs. Lakers Injury Reports
76ers Injury report
- TBD
- TBD
- TBD
Lakers Injury Report
- TBD
- TBD
- TBD
