Game 30: 02/18/21 Nets at Lakers GAME THREAD

[KobeMVP888]

(18-12) NETS AT LAKERS (22-7)

Thursday, February 18, 2021, 7:00 PM PDT
Staples Center • Los Angeles, CA

Referees: John Goble (#30), Kevin Cutler (#34), Eric Dalen (#37)

Replay Center: John Butler, Matt Myers

Line: Lakers -2.5
O/U: 233

National TV only: TNT



GAME PREVIEW: NETS AT LAKERS - INJURIES SUCK!

by Christian Rivas, @RadRivas, silverscreenandroll.com

Since the Houston Rockets traded James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 14, there hasn’t been a more hyped game on the NBA schedule than the Nets’ matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, and rightfully so.

Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Kevin Durant are far-and-away the most talented trio on the league, and their talent alone has catapulted them into the title conversation. Meanwhile, the Lakers have looked like a team that’s determined to defend their title this season and, on paper, they have more talent around LeBron James and Anthony Davis than they did last season. The hype for the game was real.

Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until at least the second half of the season to see these two games head-to-head at full strength because both Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant have been ruled out for Thursday’s game. Davis will be sidelined with Achilles tendinosis and a calf strain while Durant will be out with a hamstring injury.

Does that mean there won’t still be hype around the game? Of course not! A game between James and Irving is marquee-worthy even in a down season for both of them. Add Harden to the mix, and you’ve got a must-watch game. However, until both of these teams are healthy, any game between them will feel incomplete.

Here’s to hoping that injury sliders are turned off in the second half of the season.

https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/202 ... -davis-out

[lakerevolution]

Even in wins against sub-par teams, we tend to let one guard go off on us - whether they're average or all-star level. Tonight's challenge will be to attempt to contain both Kyrie and Harden, and the extreme likelihood is that one of them will have a good night from the field and/or charity stripe. Hopefully Vogel has drawn up a strategy for defending against what will undoubtedly be a "now-you-see-me . . ." one-two punch designed to keep us off-balance. No, this game doesn't mean anything from a win/lose standpoint, but who controls the tempo and weathers the other's spurts will obviously be an exercise in strength, focus and big-play execution. I won't be able to watch but hopefully it's a good one for the fans and one in which we don't sustain any more injuries.

Somebody get ACFresh's superhero cape outta the dry cleaners -- we're going to need him tonight.

[lakerevolution]

Nobody outside of Kuz is showing up much per minutes played, which is a shame because Kyrie is having a poor shooting night. Losing Schroeder then Matthews sealed the deal.

NEXT!!!

[3Peatkb24]

Just flush this one. The difference was they made 18 3's, we made only 8 as that is a difference of 30 points 54-24. Can't win any games with a stat like that.