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The LA Lakers and Atlanta Hawks will square off for the second and final time this NBA regular-season at State Farm Arena on Sunday.
This will be the Lakers' last match of a six-game road trip to the East Coast. They have won twice so far and will be eager to return home with a 3-3 record. Frank Vogel's team came close to overturning a 20-point deficit to beat the Hornets in their previous outing but fell short, losing 117-114.
Meanwhile, the Hawks are in the middle of their longest winning streak of the season, having won their last six games. Their latest victory came against the Celtics, winning 108-92 to claim their 23rd win of the campaign.
Match Details
Fixture: LA Lakers vs Atlanta Hawks | NBA Season 2021-22.
Date & Time: Sunday, January 30th; 1:00 PM ET (11:30 PM IST).
Venue: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA.
LA Lakers Preview
The LA Lakers have continued to deal with injuries to key players this season, causing the majority of their struggles thus far. The Lakers had to play without LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Malik Monk in their last match.
James will continue to be on the sidelines. Davis is listed as questionable while Monk, along with Russell Westbrook, is listed as probable. LA will be hoping that Davis, Monk and Westbrook are all available to play against the Atlanta Hawks, who have been in great form.
The LA Lakers battled well against the Hornets, despite being severely shorthanded. It was arguably their least disappointing loss of the campaign as they had a lot of positives to take away from that loss. Russell Westbrook played like a superstar on the night, tallying 35 points on 52% field goal shooting.
The Lakers did a great job of committing only six turnovers on the night. They need to find a way to start games well and efficiently on offense to give themselves a solid chance of snapping the Atlanta Hawks' six-game winning run.
Key Player - Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook scored 30 points in the second half, 16 in the last quarter alone, as the LA Lakers managed to cut Charlotte's 20-point advantage to only one with 24 seconds left in the game. He came close to securing the win for the 17-time NBA champions, but narrowly missed a go-ahead 3-point shot on the last possession.
Westbrook's performance is crucial to the Lakers' hopes of turning their season around. They need him to play at an All-Star caliber level as it could prove to be decisive moving forward.
LA Lakers Predicted Lineup
G - Russell Westbrook; G - Avery Bradley; F - Malik Monk; F - Stanley Johnson; C - Anthony Davis.
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Atlanta Hawks Preview
The Atlanta Hawks have made a remarkable turnaround over the last two weeks. They have beaten top teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat during their current winning streak and will be hoping to topple the star-studded LA Lakers as well.
The Hawks were excellent on defense in their previous outing against the Celtics. They used that to gain momentum, leading to a brilliant fourth-quarter performance in which they outscored their opponents 28-15. Trae Young and John Collins recorded 21 points apiece. Atlanta had ten steals and 11 blocks during that contest.
The Atlanta Hawks will have to replicate that against the LA Lakers. The Hawks will like their chances of winning as LeBron James will not be active. However, the Lakers are an unpredictable team, so Atlanta will have to be on their toes from the get-go.
Key Player - Trae Young
Trae Young is likely to be double-teamed by the LA Lakers. Frank Vogel is well aware of his offensive prowess and knows that stopping Young will prove to be the key to the Lakers improving their chances of winning this match. Young will have to make sure he is prepared for the defensive schemes the Lakers will be throwing at him.
He may find it difficult to score, but his playmaking is still a threat, so the Atlanta Hawks All-Star will need to capitalize on it and influence the match.
Atlanta Hawks Predicted Lineup
G - Trae Young; G - Kevin Huerter; F - De'Andre Hunter; F - John Collins; C - Clint Capela.
Lakers vs Hawks Match Prediction
The LA Lakers, despite playing poorly, can perform like contenders if they lock in at both ends of the floor. However, they haven't had much luck against teams that have momentum on their side. The Atlanta Hawks happen to have that advantage at the moment, which tips the scales in their favor to emerge winners of this contest.
Where to watch Lakers vs Hawks
Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles) and Bally Sports Southeast (Atlanta) will provide local coverage of the game between the LA Lakers and Atlanta Hawks. Fans can watch the match online via NBA League Pass as well.
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