NBA 2021/22 on Friday, 08.04.2022
Awesome! This year’s NBA playoffs will be without LeBron James! For the Los Angeles Lakers, the only thing left to do against the Golden State Warriors is not to reach the “50” as well.
In case of another defeat against The Dub, they would have already reached defeat number 49 of the season and would thus be very close to a historic negative record. But that’s exactly what I’m assuming in my Warriors Lakers tip!
Good research is always half the battle on the road to victory – and so my deduction for yesterday’s game between the Suns and the Lakers proved to be spot on. For the Suns’ best players were called back once again (as correctly predicted).
Although Deandre Ayton and Devin Booker could have been spared further in view of the playoffs, the Arizonans had their hearts set on a mission that night: To make it impossible for their hated rivals to make the play-offs.
And so it came to pass that Phoenix won 121-110 in full gear, depriving the Californians of their very last chance to make the play-in tournament.
What is still to be noted at this point and also crucial for my Warriors Lakers tip: LeBron James was injured against the Suns and thus missed four of the last six NBA games of the purple yellows.
My personal extra tip to Lakers officials: trade LeBron James as soon as you can for some youngsters and initiate a fresh start – but either way, I see black for you next year, too!
The Warriors, meanwhile, have their own problems. The loss of Stephen Curry has completely disrupted the team’s rhythm. The string-puller in the offensive game is currently out and so Golden Gate won only three of its last ten NBA games.
What continues to set the Warriors apart, however, is a strong defence that shouldn’t have too much trouble against these Lakers – who are also without LeBron James. Moreover, Steve Kerr’s squad is on the rise again.
The last two games against Sacramento and the Jazz were both won. As the Californians are still within striking distance of the Mavericks in the standings, they have to watch out for them.
With another win, the blue and yellows could finally secure 3rd place, which would allow them to be assigned an “easier” playoff opponent. Consequently, the incentive for a success over the Lakers is undoubtedly great.
Los Angeles has now lost its seventh straight game and defeat numero eight already seems to be peeking around the corner for me. Especially as the Warriors have already won four of the last five direct duels…
Of course, the most recent clash almost exactly one month ago went to the purple ones with 124-116, but if we look closely, three teams played that night: the Lakers, the Warriors and LeBron James!
Because The King, who is secretly considered the second best NBA player of all time, scored an incredible 56 points in that game and thus about half of all the points scored by the Californians. His absence will definitely pull the plug on the visitors’ offence.
The Warriors are the heavy favourites to win the game, with odds of around 1.10, while the odds on the Lakers to win the game in the opposite direction are around 6.00.
Conclusion: The Lakers’ season is over at the latest after the loss to the Suns. I’ll even go so far as to say that we’ll probably never see LeBron James in a purple jersey again.
Looking ahead to tonight, I expect a dejected starting five from the visitors, who will once again have to go into battle without their “King”. On the other hand, the home side’s strong defence alone could be enough for success.
The Warriors’ defence is very strong and has already enabled them to win four of the last five direct duels. The only exception is a game in which the injured James scored an incredible 56 points…
My Warriors Lakers tip: Season loss number “49” for LA!
