1/11 Utah vs. Los Angeles
8:00 pm MT – ESPN
Opponent record: 21-18
Season series: Lakers lead 1-0
Considering that the Los Angeles Lakers boast one of the greatest players to ever hit the basketball court in LeBron James, normally I wouldn’t necessarily categorize this contest as ‘winnable’. Sure, LeBron has struggled in Salt Lake City with seven straight losses there, but he’s simply the kind of talent that can never be counted out.
However, recent reports have made it seem quite unlikely that LeBron will be in action for this bout. He suffered a groin injury on Christmas Day and has been out of action since. He is set to be re-evaluated on this exact date, meaning that unless the Lakers are one hundred percent confident in his recovery and don’t feel a need to work him back into game shape (which seems highly improbable), he won’t play in this contest.
That will provide a much-needed break for the Jazz albeit a disappointing one for fans that were hoping to see The King in action. However, with the Jazz sitting a mere game and a half behind the Lakers in the standings for that final playoff spot, earning a victory here will be crucial.
The Lakers have been a disaster since LeBron went down with the injury as they’ve lost four of their last five contests in his absence. Even dating back before that, the Lakers currently are on a streak of losing seven of their last 10 games, so it’s been far from easy going for them.
As such, the Jazz should be well-equipped to capitalize on a lackluster LeBron-less Lakers team and earn an important victory at home. The last time these two squads faced off, LeBron James was in action and Donovan Mitchell left the game with an injury just 12 minutes in, and the Lakers still only barely managed to arise victorious against the road-weary Jazz. With so much going in Utah’s favor this time around, I don’t see any way they drop this one barring a surprise return from James.
My Prediction: Jazz Win
Final Score: Utah 103, Los Angeles 97