San Antonio Spurs visit Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday aiming to build on Monday’s 107-100 road win over Sacramento Kings.
The Spurs head into the game in decent form having won six of their last nine games, while the Lakers have bounced back from a nine-game losing streak by winning their last two against Atlanta Hawks and the Kings.
San Antonio are 6-1 against the spread in their last seven games against a team with a losing record and look a good bet at 10/11 to overcome a -4 handicap.
The Lakers have shown signs of life in their last two games, but San Antonio are a much tougher proposition than the Hawks and the Kings.
Despite missing Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard through injury, San Antonio are still one of the NBA’s leading teams.
They are currently priced at 14/1 to win the NBA Championships and a victory against the Lakers would take them to 29-14 for the season.
Fans planning a trip to the game should check LosAngelesHotels.org for affordable hotels in Los Angeles. We recommend the Freehand Los Angeles Hotel which is located close to the Staples Centre. Prices start from $229.
Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets look nailed on to take the top two spots in the Western Conference, but if Spurs can get Leonard fit and firing there’s every reason to think they can finish third and then progress deep into the play-offs.
The Spurs star has already missed 34 games this season. He missed the first 27 games of the campaign as he rehabilitated from quadriceps tendinopathy and was eased back in before this latest setback.
The tandem of Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge will be key to Spurs’ chances of success down the stretch, but 14/1 could look a big price if they link-up at the same level they’ve previously produced.
San Antonio’s awful collapse against the Warriors in the 2017 Western Conference Finals is still fresh in the memory, although Leonard’s absence through injury certainly contributed to their demise.
With the likes of DeJounte Murray, Bryn Forbes, Rudy Gay and Kyle Anderson making their mark this season, the Spurs look like a team to be feared for the rest of the current campaign.
San Antonio have been written off numerous times during the Gregg Popovich era, but five Championships over the last two decades is a testament to the excellent job he’s done.
Moving forward, the Spurs haven’t landed a marquee free agent since signing Aldridge in 2015, but with stars such as LeBron James and Paul George entering the market the club has an opportunity to expand on an already great team by adding more talent.
Winning their first Larry O’Brien trophy since 2014 won’t be easy with the likes of Golden State, Houston and Cleveland Cavaliers to contend with, but it would be dangerous to rule out San Antonio claiming the NBA’s top prize once again.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
