The Lakers recently ended a losing streak and they will play the Pacers at home on Jan. 20. LeBron must have an excellent performance, Westbrook must continue to be strong, other players must also stand up, and the Lakers must strive for consecutive wins. The Pacers have been in poor form lately, losing four straight and they desperately need to win, so Sabonis, LeVert and others need to perform better.
The Lakers rebounded in the last game, and they won 101-95 at home, returning to a 50% win rate. LeBron was very excited after the game, saying that the team has improved, especially on the defensive end, which is also a rare performance in the new season. Continuing to play at home has an advantage, and the Lakers need continuous victories to boost confidence.
LeBron had some minor injuries, so the decision to play was not made until before the game. Against the Jazz, LeBron performed well, cutting the 25+7+7 stats in the whole game, which was the key to the team's victory. Against the Pacers, LeBron must continue to maintain offensive and defensive efficiency in order to disrupt the opponent's defense.
Westbrook had 15 points and eight rebounds in his last game, shooting a very high percentage, shooting 5-of-14 from the field. Although the stats are average, Westbrook is the player who was hotly discussed after the game because his two goals were very exciting. The first was Gobert's dunk, which exploded and won the admiration of teammates and fans. Then there's the key goal in the final quarter that helped the team seal the win. We saw that although Westbrook shot averagely, there were other offensive ways to help the team. Against the Pacers, Westbrook had to defend and reduce turnovers so he could help the team.
In addition to Westbrook and LeBron, the Lakers need others to stand up to win, which is why the last game was able to win. Johnson was a Surprise in his last game, and he and LeBron played a key offensive. Against the Pacers, the Lakers need more role players to stand up, Bradley, Munch, Johnson, Ariza and others have the ability, Howard has to work on the inside, so the victory is in sight.
The Pacers have been in very poor shape lately, losing to the Clippers 133-13 on the road last time, which is already a four-game losing streak, and the last 11 games have been lost 10 games. Against the Lakers, the Pacers also have the hope of winning, and they have to be stronger. The Pacers' biggest problem at the moment is injury, turner has an injury to his left foot and Brogdon's Achilles tendon injury, which obviously affects the overall strength of the team.
The Pacers, who are absent from multiple players, need Sabonis to stand up and lead the team, and he has to be stronger on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends. Sabonis averaged 18.9 points, 11.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game in the new season, which is very comprehensive. Le Vere is another point of attack for the Pacers, who averaged more than 18 points per game in the new season and must maintain the impact so that it can disrupt the Lakers defense. Pacers rookie Duarte has been doing well in the new season, currently averaging 13.2 points per game. The Pacers also have Holliday, Craig, Stephenson, Brisette and others in the team, and they also have the strength, especially Finson, who can bring the vitality of the bench.
Expected debut:
Pacers: Washington, LeVert, Holliday, Craig, Sabonis.
Lakers: Westbrook, Bradley, Ariza, LeBron, Howard.