NBA 25-26/02/2022: LA Lakers and LA Clippers collide, Suns and Nets in action

Following a short break which was due to the All-Star game between Team LeBron and Team Durant last weekend, the NBA returns in full force. We will preview three of this weekend’s biggest games, including LA Lakers v LA Clippers, and the Phoenix Suns v Utah Jazz. We will also give the lowdown on the latest match odds.

LA Lakers need to kickstart a winning run

As far as the Lakers are concerned, there will have been more questions than answers over the past week. More pressingly, they will try to figure out how to put together a winning sequence of results. Being edged out by the Golden State Warriors 117-115 recently, was their third loss on the bounce. LeBron James weighed in with 26 points and 15 assists.

However, he was outperformed by Klay Thompson, who weighed in with 33 points after spending half an hour on court. The Lakers need to get their act together! They are currently ninth in the Western Conference with a 27-31 record to boot. Although the Clippers are only one spot above them.

LeBron James makes promise over his final NBA season

James has transcended the NBA in a way that few other players have, and he has a lot of rings in his trophy cabinet. The 37-year-old shows no signs of slowing down. Excitingly, it seems like James’ son, Bronny, could be on course to play in the NBA in 2 years. It would be amazing to see father and son potentially share a court!

LA Clippers make up for indifferent form with blow out win over Houston Rockets

Although there have been suspect performances recently from the Clippers, they made some amends with a 142-111 victory over the Rockets. Marcus Morris Sr. contributed 27 points, and the Clippers proved to be too hot to handle, as they surged to a 17-point lead in the first half. The Clippers will fancy their chances of piling on the misery against their LA rivals.

Phoenix Suns continue to steamroller their opponents

The Suns, excuse the pun, have caught fire this campaign. They just seem to steamroller past their opponents. The recent victories over the Milwaukee Bucks (131-107), and the Orlando Magic (132-105) pay testament to this, and they boast an impressive record at the top of the Western Conference — 48-10.

Utah Jazz aiming to get back on track after surprise LA Lakers defeat

Despite everything that has been great about the Jazz this season, they have been known to slip up at times when you least expect them to. For example, they were beaten 106-101 by the Lakers last week. Apart from Donovan Mitchell draining 37 points, nobody stepped up to the plate.

Perhaps there is an over-reliance on Mitchell. When you look at the contributions of his teammates that night, Bojan Bogdanovic managed 15 points, while Jordan Clarkson provided 13 points. The Jazz, however, are fourth in the Western Conference. They boast a 36-22 record, so there’s no need to panic just yet.

Meanwhile, the Suns are concerned about Chris Paul’s hand injury. Paul picked up his hand problem in his franchise’s final game before the All-Star break. He has required four hand surgeries in the past, and the team are still waiting to release the results of the MRI scan, which will determine the timescale for his return.

Serge Ibaka settling in quickly at the Milwaukee Bucks

After joining the Bucks last week before the trade deadline, Serge Ibaka has started to make an impression, and he looks settled. He is currently averaging 6.7 points, six rebounds, and an assist, while his shooting is just over the 47% mark. Offensively, Ibaka is looking strong, while defensively, he has looked solid too.

Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets will be looking to get back on track after they slumped to a 117-103 defeat against the Washington Wizards. The Nets are currently eighth in the Eastern Conference, with a 31-28 record, and this matchup has the ingredients to be a classic. However, we think the Bucks could come out on top.