LA Lakers vs San Antonio Spurs Prediction & Match Preview - March 7th, 2022

The LA Lakers’ challenging season continues as they head to AT&T Center to take on the young San Antonio Spurs on Monday. LA could capture the season series if they win against the gritty squad from Texas.

It took LeBron James' 56-point masterpiece to snap the LA Lakers’ losing slump at four games. They, however, can’t rest on their laurels as they badly need to collect as many wins as they can to at least enter the play-in tournament.

A win against the Spurs will boost their chances as they are still in ninth place in the West and have one of the toughest schedules remaining in the NBA.

Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs are in a funk of their own, losing their last four games. Gregg Popovich’s wards, though, are far from pushovers. They just play the right way and don’t give up, regardless of the score. The Lakers can’t afford to take this team for granted.

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Though the San Antonio Spurs play with only one All-Star in Dejounte Murray, LA should be wary as the last time they met, the Spurs pounded them 138-110. San Antonio’s young guns would love to add to the woes of the star-studded Hollywood team.

Match Details

Fixture: LA Lakers vs San Antonio Spurs | 2021-22 NBA season.

Date & Time: Monday, March 7th; 8:30 PM ET (Tuesday, March 8th; 6:00 AM IST).

Venue: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX.

LA Lakers Preview

The LA Lakers needed all of LeBron James' 56 points to hold off the strugglng Golden State Warriors in their last game. [Photo: MARCA]

Badly needing a win, LeBron James exploded for 56 points against Steph Curry and the struggling Golden State Warriors. They came out of the first half playing solid basketball, tying the Warriors' third quarter production, which was essential to the win. The LA Lakers kept their momentum and ran roughshod over their rivals in the fourth quarter to record a big win.

As impressive as the LA Lakers played, they also tempted fate with their turnovers. Turnovers and poor third quarters have been two of their biggest issues this season. They solved one against the Warriors but got away with unforced errors.

The young Spurs side could take advantage of the miscues and turn the LA Lakers’ turnovers into fastbreak points. San Antonio is the perfect trap game following a huge win over their hated rivals.

The Lakers are prone to losing games against star-less but unrelenting teams who try to execute for 48 minutes. They can’t afford to be sloppy against a well-coached and gritty outfit like the Spurs.

Key Player - LeBron James

As he has done for most of this season, LeBron James once again carried the stumbling LA Lakers to a win last time out. The four-time MVP was spectacular in every way and comprehensively outplayed his much younger rivals in another iconic performance.

James towed the LA Lakers to the finish line, finishing with 56 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. Most impressively, he made 19 of 31 field-goal attempts, including six-of-11 from beyond the arc.

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On paper, San Antonio has no player they can use to contain “King James” and could be in trouble if the LA Lakers’ franchise player gets going.

LA Lakers Predicted Lineup

G - Russell Westbrook | G - Austin Reaves | F - Malik Monk | F - Stanley Johnson | C - LeBron James.

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San Antonio Spurs Preview

The San Antonio Spurs lead the NBA in assists per game. [Photo: Sporting News]

After going 4-1 in their previous five games, the San Antonio Spurs have slumped to a four-game losing skid. They were thoroughly beaten by Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies, but were very competitive in the other three losses. They gave the Charlotte Hornets a tough time before succumbing late in their last game.

Two of the San Antonio Spurs’ best traits are also two of the Lakers’ most obvious weaknesses. San Antonio leads the NBA in assists and is fourth-best in avoiding errors. Regardless of who they play, they play hard and compete every step of the way.

The San Antonio Spurs are excited to play any team despite their poor record. They have pulled off several upsets this season, including one over the Lakers. San Antonio could pull the rug from under LA if the latter is not careful.

Key Player - Dejounte Murray

Dejounte Murray continues his breakout campaign. He is looking more and more like the franchise player that the San Antonio Spurs are looking to build their future around.

After trading Derrick White to the Boston Celtics, the 25-year-old guard is now averaging 24.1 points, 10.5 assists, 8.0 rebounds and 2.1 steals. No one in the NBA has put up those numbers in the same span.

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The San Antonio Spurs' point guard and Chris Paul are the only players in the NBA who rank in the top five in both assists and steals. Murray leads the league in swipes and is third in dishes. He is a dominant two-way player who will relish the challenge of facing LeBron James and crew.

San Antonio Spurs Predicted Lineup

G - Dejounte Murray | G - Devin Vassell | F - Doug McDermott | F - Keldon Johnson | C - Jakob Poeltl.

Lakers vs Spurs Match Prediction

It isn’t the first time that the LA Lakers are heavy favorites to win against a rebuilding team and likely won’t be the last. They’ve been prone to lackluster performances against such teams, often playing without discipline or effort.

If the Lakers show effort and determination, they should emphatically win the season series against the still-developing San Antonio Spurs.

Where to watch the Lakers vs Spurs game

The NBA League Pass will stream the game live. Local coverage of the matchup is available via Bally Sports SouthWest - San Antonio and Spectrum SportsNet.

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