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Christmas Day is to the NBA as Thanksgiving is to the NFL. 5 video games from midday to midnight that includes the league’s high groups and largest stars. It’s basketball heaven.
That’s, if it occurs in keeping with plan.
Resulting from an explosion of optimistic COVID-19 checks across the league, a few of these high groups are short-handed and lots of stars are within the well being and security protocols as a substitute of out on the court docket. ESPN reported Tuesday the ten groups taking part in on Christmas had been notified that sport instances could also be altered if COVID-19 points power modifications.
9 video games have been rescheduled as of Wednesday, in keeping with Hashtagbasketball.com. That features three Nets video games and one Hawks sport, each of whom play on Christmas.
Gamers within the league’s well being and security protocols embrace: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Trae Younger and Luka Doncic, according to CBS Sports’ working checklist. All of them are scheduled to play on Christmas if they’re cleared to take action.
With all of these contingencies and availability considerations, let’s get into the video games.
SI’s Ben Pickman rejoins me as a visitor picker to make choices for Brooklyn vs. L.A.
Season document: 49-46-1
Visitor pickers: 32-58
Editor’s Word: All stats, information and odds are as of Dec. 23
Check the Latest NBA Lines at SI Sportsbook
Tony Gutierrez/AP
Time: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
Unfold: Nets +1.5 (-118) | Lakers -1.5 (+110)
Moneyline: Nets (+100) | Lakers (-118)
Complete: Beneath 233.5 (-118) | Over 233.5 (+100)
Accidents: Nets F Blake Griffin—Day-to-day; Nets C LaMarcus Aldridge—Out; Nets F Kevin Durant—Out; Nets G James Harden—Out; Nets G Kyrie Irving—Out; Nets F Nic Claxton—Day-to-day; Lakers F LeBron James—Day-to-day; Lakers G Malik Monk—Out; Lakers F Trevor Ariza—Day-to-day; Lakers G Austin Reaves—Out; Lakers G Avery Bradley—Out
James Harden cleared COVID-19 protocols and must be again to play in opposition to the Lakers. So, Brooklyn can have not less than one if its Massive 3 for this marquee matchup.
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving stay within the league’s well being and security protocols, which may hold them sidelined Saturday. COVID-19 outbreaks have prevented the Nets from taking part in since Saturday. Brooklyn has three postponed video games to this point, tied for essentially the most within the league with the Bulls.
Durant’s scoring shall be sorely missed if he can’t go, however Harden’s playmaking can be certain that the remainder of the workforce is concerned in opposition to the Lakers’ poor protection. Brooklyn’s offense ranks eleventh in scoring (109.7 PPG) and tenth in protection (106.3 PPG). Granted, a lot of that has been with Durant on the court docket—the workforce is 1-2 with out him for the reason that video games he wouldn’t have been out there for had been postponed.
Los Angeles is on a three-game dropping streak, with its defeats coming by a median of 13.7 factors. That stretch adopted three straight wins that the Lakers strung collectively to carry them again to .500. Los Angeles has a house sport in opposition to the Spurs Thursday night time earlier than its first assembly of the season with the Nets.
LeBron James is shouldering the load for the Lakers with Anthony Davis out for a number of weeks with a knee damage. James is taking part in 37 minutes per sport, which might be his highest mark for the reason that 2016-17 season. The Lakers have additionally relied closely on Isaiah Thomas, who was picked up final week because of availability points. Thomas is taking part in 26.2 minutes per sport and averages 11.7 factors in three video games with the workforce.
Los Angeles’ offense is slipping—it’s now ranked tenth (109.8 PPG), whereas the protection is available in at twenty seventh in factors allowed (111.2 PPG).
Kyle Wooden’s Bets:
Unfold choose: Lakers -1.5
If the Lakers are taking part in the model of the Nets that misplaced to the Magic at house, A.Ok.A. no Kevin Durant, they need to cowl this unfold simply. Though Los Angeles has its personal points, it nonetheless has James, the most effective participant on the ground on this scenario. The Lakers have the worst In opposition to the Unfold (ATS) document within the NBA (12-20) and Brooklyn isn’t a lot better (12-17-1). Nonetheless, I just like the Davis-less Lakers to beat the short-handed Nets.
Over/Beneath choose: Beneath 233.5
L.A. was held underneath 100 factors in two of its final three video games, each of which had been losses. Brooklyn, in the meantime, scored simply 93 factors in its final video games. Nets video games keep underneath greater than 56% of the time, whereas the Lakers accomplish that in 50% of their video games. That is shaping as much as be the Christmas Day of unders. It’s onerous to see these groups combining for 234 factors given the rosters they’re doubtlessly trotting out on the court docket.
Carlos Osorio/AP
Visitor Picker Ben Pickman’s Bets:
Unfold choose: Lakers -1.5
James Harden, Paul Millsap and Jevon Carter have all been cleared from the NBA’s well being and security protocols and are anticipated to play Saturday. However the Nets’ roster will nonetheless be a shell of itself after they face Los Angeles. Durant, Irving, Bruce Brown and LaMarcus Aldridge are simply among the Brooklyn gamers that can nonetheless be absent for the competition, placing a damper on what initially regarded like a star-studded affair.
The great factor for the Nets is the Lakers is not going to be at full energy both. Los Angeles introduced final week that Davis shall be out not less than 4 weeks with an MCL sprain. The Lakers have additionally handled their very own COVID-19 points with 4 gamers and coach Frank Vogel nonetheless within the protocols as of Thursday afternoon.
Nonetheless, extra of their core has remained energetic and the depth (not less than comparatively on Saturday) of the Lakers give them a slight edge.
Over/Beneath choose: Beneath 233.5
The Nets and Lakers have been two of the worst offensive groups within the leagues since Saturday, Dec. 11. As of Thursday night, the Lakers had been final within the league in offensive score since that date, scoring simply 98 factors per 100 possessions. The Nets had been much better than that (totaling 110.2 factors per 100 possessions) however stood at simply No. 18 in offensive score. Defensively, nevertheless, each have been high ten in that span. With a lot current flux on each roster it’s onerous to think about this as a high-scoring affair. Take the underneath and benefit from the present of a low-scoring sport.
Check the Latest Odds from SI Sportsbook
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