Atlanta Hawks vs LA Lakers prediction and combined starting 5 - March 20th, 2021

The red-hot Atlanta Hawks will visit reigning NBA champions LA Lakers for a matchup at LA's Staples Center. The game will pair two teams that are playing at a high level at the moment, as both sides have the current largest winning streak in their respective conferences.

Since hiring Nate McMillan, after Lloyd Pierce's firing, the Atlanta Hawks have won seven consecutive games and have the longest winning streak in the entire NBA right now. For the LA Lakers, LeBron James has managed to perform tremendously in recent games without Anthony Davis and has led the team to a four-game winning streak, the biggest in the West right now.

The Atlanta Hawks are 8-2 in their last 10 games, while the LA Lakers have a 6-4 record in the same span.

Both teams faced each other on February 1st, with the LA Lakers taking a convincing 107-99 win that gave them a 16-6 record at the time, while the Atlanta Hawks were 10-10 back then.

The Atlanta Hawks now rank fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 21-20 record, while the LA Lakers are second in the West with a 28-13 record and are just 1.5 games behind the Utah Jazz, right in the mix for the league's top record.

---

Atlanta Hawks vs LA Lakers prediction - March 20th, 2021

Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks.

At this stage, this matchup should be very competitive, as the Atlanta Hawks are playing well under their new coach and are looking to secure a spot to enter the playoffs directly. Still, LeBron James and the LA Lakers should be favorites at home and continue their quest for the top spot in the West, all with Anthony Davis out.

Though the LA Lakers are 15th in Offensive Rating in the 2020-21 NBA season, the team remains at the top of the Defensive Rating ladder with 106.1 points allowed per 100 possessions.

On their side, the Atlanta Hawks' offense ranks ninth in the NBA in Offensive Rating, but their defense is only 21st out of the association's 30 teams.

---

Atlanta Hawks vs LA Lakers combined starting 5 - March 20th, 2021

G Trae Young, G Dennis Schroder, F LeBron James, F John Collins, C Clint Capela

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Trae Young is the Atlanta Hawks' driving force on offense and he has put up good numbers in the 2020-21 NBA season. He is averaging 25.9 points, 9.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game so far for Atlanta, with 43/38/87 shooting splits.

In the team's current winning streak, Young is averaging just 23.6 points per game, but has been more efficient with his shooting and has made 46% of his field goals and 40% of his triples in that stretch.

On the LA Lakers' backcourt, Dennis Schroder has been essential for the team with his control of the offense and the high-energy minutes he provides. Schroder is averaging 14.8 points and 4.7 assists per game in the 2020-21 NBA season while making 44% of his shots from the field.

LeBron James is arguably the strongest candidate for the 2020-21 NBA MVP and the 36-year-old seems to be far from slowing down. In his 18th NBA season, James has put up tremendous numbers with consistency and has kept the LA Lakers in the fight for the top spot in the Western Conference.

James is averaging 25.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game so far with 51/37/70 shooting splits in 40 appearances (he has missed only one game this season).

The Atlanta Hawk's backcourt is built with John Collins and Clint Capela, who are performing well for the team in the 2020-21 NBA campaign. Collins is averaging 18 points and 7.6 rebounds per game so far and has impressive shooting splits of 53/38/85.

On his side, Clint Capela is putting up 14.6 points and 14.1 rebounds per game (highest in the league) with his usual high field-goal percentage (59%) and is also averaging 2.3 blocks per game (third-highest in the NBA).

---