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Defending NBA champions LA Lakers will attempt to make it five wins out of five against the impressive Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. The Lakers have been in rampant form despite the absence of star big man Anthony Davis. LeBron James looks back to his best as the LA Lakers have returned to their former ways since the NBA All-Star break.
Facing them will be the Atlanta Hawks, who have been on a flawless run of victories since the All-Star break themselves. The Hawks have relied on the offensive talent of Trae Young, who along with John Collins has produced some top performances in recent weeks. Clint Capela leads the side in rebounds and is averaging 14.6 points and 2.3 blocks per game.
Both teams come into this game with multiple injury concerns, although the LA Lakers are the clear favorites to make it five wins out of five.
Atlanta Hawks vs LA Lakers: Injury Updates
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks came out victorious over the struggling Oklahoma City Thunder in their last game, despite missing the services of De’Andre Hunter, who is set to miss out on a number of games. Kris Dunn and Cam Reddish have both been unavailable for sustained periods of time and are still some way away from making a return.
The Atlanta Hawks saw top performances from the likes of Bogdan Bogdanovic and Trae Young last time around, as they finished with 23 points each. The former has been instrumental for the Atlanta Hawks off the bench, and will need to contribute again against the LA Lakers
LA Lakers
The LA Lakers have shown large improvement and have been consistent since the All-Star break. The biggest absence has been that of Anthony Davis, and the Lakers initially struggled defensively and had a mixed run of form.
However, LeBron James has looked prolific in recent games and has been a revelation on the defensive end of the court as well. He has been well supported by Dennis Schroder, while Kyle Kuzma has also shown improvement on both ends of the floor.
Atlanta Hawks vs LA Lakers: Predicted Lineups
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks will be wary of changing their winning lineup and should stick to the same starting five that they had in their last victory. De’Andre Hunter’s absence has given Tony Snell a chance to prove his worth, and he should start alongside Collins at forward again.
Trae Young will be looking for a big performance, with his team up against it. The Atlanta Hawks have stayed afloat despite the number of injuries they have faced, and have a more difficult run of fixtures starting Saturday.
LA Lakers
The LA Lakers will also be expected to stick to the same starting 5, with Marc Gasol the latest player whose absence could affect their form. AD is still some way away, while the likes of Kostas Antetokounmpo and Jared Dudley are the other players the LA Lakers will be missing against the Atlanta Hawks.
Post the All-Star break, Kyle Kuzma has produced some of the best basketball he has played all season.
Atlanta Hawks vs LA Lakers Predicted Starting 5s
Atlanta Hawks
G Trae Young, G Kevin Huerter, F Tony Snell, F John Collins, C Danilo Gallinari
LA Lakers
G Dennis Schroder, G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, F LeBron James, F Markieff Morris, C Damian Jones
