PHILADELPHIA @ LA LAKERS (LAL -7.5 222.5)
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76ERS @ LAKERS 11/8/24
The Los Angeles Lakers will host the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, a matchup between two teams still figuring things out in the early going. After a 1-4 road trip that ended Wednesday with a 131-114 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Lakers are a mediocre 4-4. LeBron James scored a season-high 39 points in that win over Memphis.
James took a season-high 24 shots and made 15 of them. James had to take on more of the scoring load with Rui Hachimura (illness) and Anthony Davis (heel) sidelined. For the second time on the road trip, the Lakers' defense allowed at least 130 points as the Grizzlies made half of their 34 three-point attempts and shot 51.6 percent from the field.
James shot 6-of-11 from three-point range. Austin Reaves scored 19 points and D'Angelo Russell had 12 as Los Angeles shot 31.3 percent as a team from three-point range. Dalton Knecht, a rookie selected in the first round of the draft, started his first game but went just 1-of-7 from beyond the arc.
Since 2022–23 MVP Joel Embiid hasn't played in a game, the 76ers have struggled to get back on track. Embiid will be sidelined until Sunday due to a knee injury and a three-game suspension for an altercation with a newspaper columnist. Tyrese Maxey will also be out with a hamstring injury. He suffered the injury in the second half of Wednesday's 110-98 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Paul George, a free agent addition to Philadelphia, is back on the court after missing the first five games due to a knee injury. George finished Wednesday's game against his old team with 18 points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes. George had the opportunity to see his old teammates in their new arena on Wednesday, but Friday will be about going back to the arena where he averaged 23.0 points during his five seasons with the Clippers. The five-time All-Star hails from Palmdale, California, which is close by.
The Sixers were tied 51-51 at the half after shooting 54.3 percent from the field in the first half against the Clippers. However, the Clippers shot 70.6% in the third quarter, outscoring the Sixers 33–17.
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COACH RICK FREE PICK:
FREE PICK: OVER 222.5
The Lakers defense is sketchy at best. The Sixers haven’t really been able to establish any continuity on offense with George just returning to the lineup and Embiid out. Now, Maxey is out which makes things even more difficult, but LA is so bad defensively, the Sixers can help push this number Over. Six of the last eight Sixers games have gone Over this number. Five of the Lakers last seven have done the same. In 3 of their last 4 games, the Lakers have allowed 125 points or more.