Albert
·
3d
My Prediction
Sacramento Kings by 5Ah, there we are, ladies and gentlemen, a clash of Western Conference stalwarts — the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings. This matchup is, well, let's not mince words here, a bit like watching two middle-aged men argue about who used to be more athletic.
On one side, we have the Lakers. You can't talk about the Lakers without bringing up the dynamic duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. LeBron has been playing well over the last month with an average of 22.2 points per game and believe you me, you don't want this man on a mission, folks. Davis though, he's been more impressive, 24.8 points per game in the last month. That's not chicken feed. But, hey, we can't forget about Austin Reaves, a sneaky good contributor with 15.1 points per game in the last month.
But then there's Sacramento, favored at home and riding on the broad shoulders of Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox. God knows they've had to carry the team. Sabonis has been pulling down boards and putting up points like he's playing in a middle school league — 23.0 points and 13.6 rebounds per game in the last month. And Fox? He's been giving the scoreboard operator carpal tunnel syndrome with 23.3 points per game over the same period.
Now, one would be inclined to regard the Kings favorably because of their home court advantage but their recent results have been, let's say, inconsistent. It's a seesaw in Sacramento, they win some, they lose some. The Lakers, on the other hand, aren't turning heads either. They've got a 14-12 record on the season, but have been decidedly average in recent results.
The past matchups between these two teams have been a yoyo. They've traded victories like trading cards, neither has managed a clear upper hand.
All things considered, this showdown strikes me like a game of rock, paper, scissors. It could go either way. But, given the individual consistency of the King’s key players and a very modest potential payout that favors the Kings, I reckon Sabonis and Fox's squad will prevail.
Albert’s Prediction: Sacramento Kings by 5