NBA LOS ANGELES LAKERS vs ORLANDO MAGIC | Dec 13 - 10:30AM

[Mary C]

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POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: 

LOS ANGELES LAKERS: 

PG | Russell Westbrook 

SG | Avery Bradley 

SF | Kent Bazemore 

PF | LeBron James 

C | Anthony Davis 

 

ORLANDO MAGIC: 

PG | Cole Anthony 

SG | Gary Harris 

SF | Franz Wagner 

PF | Wendell Carter Jr. 

C | Mo Bamba 

 

The outcome for the match on December 13, 2021, is not hard to predict, and the Orlando Magic could add another loss to their four-game losing streak as they face off against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. Magic stands on 5-22, ranking 14th in the Eastern Conference, while the Los Angeles Lakers stand on 14-13, ranking 6th in the Western Conference. For the last two times that the two teams met, the outcome has been the same– the Lakers taking the win. Will the same thing happen for this match? Let us see where both teams stand. 

 

The Orlando Magic have lost four out of their past five matches, and this does not give them a high chance of winning against the Lakers. Their average points per game are 101.5, and the points per contest that they give up is 112.3 points. They stand at 42.4% in field-goal percentage and 32.5% at three-point shooting– all of which are 28th in the NBA. The team’s key player, Cole Anthony, is keeping the team afloat with his average of 20.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. Wendell Carter Jr. is also emerging as the team’s leader in rebounds, playing at 9.9 per contest, plus his average of 13.4 points per game. 

 

As for the Los Angeles Lakers, one of their key players, Anthony Davis, has been out of the game due to left knee soreness, an injury in which the team is still trying to figure out the source. However, even with the absence of Davis, the team is still looking strong with LeBron James, Avery Bradley, and Russell Westbrook, unlike the Orlando Magic still struggling to build a competitive team. Even though the Lakers have not been the best at the line with 73.4% hit of their shots, they still rank 5th with their 111.4 points per game, 6th in (46.6%) field-goal percentage, and thirteenth (35.3%) in three-point shooting. They also ranked 6th in total rebounds, 7th in steals per game, and 5th in blocks per contest, with LeBron James leading the team.  

 

Seeing the wide gap on ESPN’s Basketball Power Index with the Lakers having a 76.1% chance of winning and Magic having a 23.9% chance, it is without a doubt that the Los Angeles Lakers is the superior team. In addition, the Orlando Magic had lost 13 out of their last 15 games, half of which they lost by more than 10 points. In line with this, the Los Angeles Lakers should have no trouble facing the Orlando Magic, since they are more capable of executing gameplay that is cohesive and effective. Witness the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Orlando Magic on December 13, 2021, at 10:30 AM PST, at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California.