Monday, February 8, 2021, 7:00 PM PDT
Staples Center • Los Angeles, CA
Referees: Kane Fitzgerald (#5), Scott Wall (#31) , Matt Myers (#43)
Replay Center: Pat Fraher, Mark Lindsay, Phenizee Ransom
Line: Lakers -10
O/U: 216.5
National TV: NBA League Pass only
Local TV: Spectrum SportsNet
GAME PREVIEW: THUNDER AT LAKERS
by Christian Rivas, @RadRivas, silverscreenandroll.com
Heavy minutes were played when the Los Angeles Lakers took on the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night, and no, that wasn’t a typo. For the second time this season, the Pistons, who currently hold the worst record in the NBA, gave the Lakers problems. However, this time the Lakers were able to come out on top.
Did they need two extra quarters of basketball to do it? Sure, but who’s counting? The Lakers, hopefully.
On Saturday, the Lakers had four players that logged more than 40 minutes: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Dennis Schröder. No other Laker crossed the 30-minute mark.
For that reason, expect to see a few new faces in the rotation when the Lakers host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. Both Wesley Matthews and Markieff Morris have been healthy scratches in each of the Lakers’ last four games, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them get some run against the Thunder. It also wouldn’t be surprising to see LeBron James and Anthony Davis get some rest.
For all of the talk about how the Lakers’ revamped bench would lighten the load for James after his year-long championship run, James has averaged just 0.4 minutes less per game than he averaged in the regular season last season and appeared in all 24 games. His durability might be the difference between him and the other MVP candidates when the season is over, but he does need to get a break at some point, right?
Additionally, the Lakers announced on Sunday that Davis is dealing with Achilles tendinosis. If there was ever a night for both James and Davis to take a breather, it would be Monday.
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