The Los Angeles Lakers (17-21, 9-8 Home) play host to the Atlanta Hawks (18-20, 7-12 Away) Friday in a matchup of up-tempo teams. Atlanta squeaked by the Sacramento Kings 120-117 at Golden 1 Center on Wednesday. John Collins led the way with 22 points and 12 rebounds. The Hawks are the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Los Angeles won their third in a row in a close one on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena, beating the Miami Heat 112-109. Dennis Schroder had 32 points, leading the team. The Lakers are 12th in the Western Conference. This is the final meeting of the season between the teams. After winning the only prior season game against Atlanta 130-121 at State Farm Arena on Friday, Los Angeles will be pursuing a season sweep.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 47 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. Trae Young had 29 points in defeat.Young is averaging 27.3 points per game, ninth-highest in the league, to lead the Hawks in scoring this season. Young also has dished 9.9 assists per game, second-most in the league.
Meanwhile, Clint Capela is grabbing 11.9 rebounds. James has been the primary provider for the Lakers on offense, averaging 29.0 points per game. He has the eighth-best scoring average in the NBA. James also has posted 8.2 rebounds per game.
Russell Westbrook has recorded 7.7 assists per game. Expect plenty of transition action in this matchup that showcases two of the league’s most fast-paced teams, as the Lakers are second in possessions per game while the Hawks are fifth.
The Hawks are 3-7 in their last 10 trips to Crypto.com Arena. In the last 10 games, Atlanta is 4-6 with an average margin of +0.8 (121.6-120.8). For the season, the Hawks are averaging 115.4 points per game, compared to 116.3 for opponents. Los Angeles has split the last 10 (5-5), allowing 120.6 points per game on average while scoring only 117.8 (-2.8 margin).
HAWKS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
John Collins: 31.6 | 22.6 | +9.0
Points per game:
John Collins: 20.2 | 13.2 | +7.0
Rebounds per game:
Onyeka Okongwu: 9.6 | 7.2 | +2.4
LAKERS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Thomas Bryant: 30.8 | 19.6 | +11.2
Lonnie Walker IV: 8.0 | 18.4 | -10.4
Points per game:
LeBron James: 36.3 | 29.0 | +7.3
Lonnie Walker IV: 5.0 | 14.7 | -9.7
Rebounds per game:
Thomas Bryant: 11.8 | 6.6 | +5.2
SportsTips’ NBA Pick:
LA Lakers (+115)
Want up to a $1K risk free bet for this pick?
Claim with 
today!
If you need more news, information and predictions, head over to our NBA hub page for all your basketball needs!
*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
