Best in the West - Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers
by Dave D
Thursday, November 12th – 10:30 PM ET
Basketball Betting Spread: Lakers -7.5
The Week That Was: Suns
It’s been a successful week of basketball for the Suns on their traveling road show. Getting a Northeastern swing out of the way in November, coach Alvin Gentry’s team has endured jet lag and odd hours to grind out wins against three Eastern Conference foes, one of them a member of the NBA’s elite. On Friday, Nov. 6, Phoenix dealt the Boston Celtics their first loss of the season, 110-103. Shooting guard Jason Richardson, suspended for the first four games of the season, returned to the Suns’ lineup and promptly threw down 34 points. Phoenix then traveled to Washington and shook off the effects of a 1 p.m. Sunday start, downing the Wizards, 102-90, on Nov. 8. Given a few hours of extra recuperation time by the afternoon start on the weekend, the Suns were able to go to Philadelphia on Monday, Nov. 9, and top the 76ers, 119-115.
The Week That Was: Lakers
It was a light but satisfying week for the defending NBA champions, who coasted to a pair of 16-point victories in the comfortable confines of Staples Center. The Lakers topped Memphis on Friday, Nov. 6 without much trouble. The Lakers shot 51 percent from the field against the toothless defense of the Grizzlies, rolling to a 114-98 win. Two days later, on Nov. 8, coach Phil Jackson’s club expected a strong challenge from Chris Paul and the rest of the New Orleans Hornets, but that stiff test never materialized. Kobe Bryant poured in 41 points to lead the Lake Show to a 104-88 triumph that was far easier than the final score actually indicated.
What makes this past week so positive for the Lakers is that they won both games without their top two big men, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. It’s enough to lose one tall tree, but the absence of two effective operators near the basket had L.A. worried. The team’s ability to persevere in spite of such a deficiency bodes well for the road ahead.
Outlook & Pick
As always, a key to pegging an NBA regular-season game is the schedule, and in this contest, the advantage clearly lies with the Lakers, who have been resting since Sunday, while the Suns played New Orleans late Wednesday night (when this story had already been written). Phoenix is not only dealing with the dreaded back-to-back; the Suns must fly to L.A. to play this game. Another plus for the Lakers is that the three-day break between games will allow them to get Andrew Bynum back into the lineup. (Gasol is out until at least Christmas with his injury.)
Pick: L.A. Lakers -7.5
