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The Los Angeles Lakers host the Chicago Bulls at the Staples Center. The Lakers have lost 7 out of their last 10 games since LeBron James' injury, and even dropped one at home in their last encounter against the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Lakers have struggled for consistency on the offensive end. They are making too may mistakes and no player is able to convert open shots. The match against the Bulls presents the Lakers with an ideal opportunity to get back to winning ways.
The Bulls are one of the worst teams in the NBA this season. They lost their last encounter to the Utah Jazz and are the worst offensive team in the NBA.
Let's have a look at the match preview and the expected starting lineups for the two teams:
The Los Angeles Lakers perspective:
The Los Angeles Lakers are a team in distress. They have dropped from the fourth spot to the ninth spot over the course of the last 10 games. As things stand currently, they won't be making the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year.
This is a must-win match for the Lakers after they dropped the last one against the Cavaliers who have the worst record this season. LeBron is again going to miss this game because of a groin strain, making it the first time in his illustrious career that he has missed 11 consecutive games. Rajon Rondo is also out injured.
The Lakers will heavily rely upon the scoring of Kyle Kuzma. The Lakers have been dead last on offense since LeBron's injury, and Kuzma looks to be the only reliable scoring option. Even he has been unable to produce recently though, and has shot very inefficiently in a couple of games.
The Chicago Bulls perspective:
The Chicago Bulls are 5-14 since they hired Jim Boylen as their head coach. They have been one of the worst teams in the NBA this season with a 10-33 record.
The Bulls have dropped 7 straight games, but might find the motivation to win this game after the Cleveland Cavaliers broke their 12-game losing skid against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Zach LaVine has been great for the Bulls this season. He is averaging 23.6 points per game for the season on 46% shooting from the field, and has been the biggest shining light for the Bulls in an otherwise disappointing season.
The Bulls are 0-3 on a five-game road trip, and have a 5-17 win loss record on the road for the season. The Bulls have also struggled mightily against the Western Conference teams, and are only 3-15 against teams from the West.
Expected starting lineups
Chicago Bulls: Kris Dunn (PG), Zach LaVine (SG), Chandler Hutchinson (SF), Lauri Markkanen (PF), Wendell Carter Jr. (C)
Los Angeles Lakers: Lonzo Ball (PG), Josh Hart (SG), Brandon Ingram (SF), Kyle Kuzma (PF), Javale McGee (C)
Match Predictions:
The Los Angeles Lakers are a team firmly in the playoff mix in the loaded Western Conference. The Bulls on the other hand are struggling for consistency and have been terrible on both ends of the floor.
The Lakers have been showing good defensive efforts in the past few games but they have seen a massive let down on the offensive end without LeBron. They have lost home games recently against the Knicks and the Cavs, and these losses can seriously hurt their playoff aspirations going forward.
They are a team under immense pressure to perform and win this game. I expect them to respond to that pressure, and come out with a victory over the Chicago Bulls.
