Lakers vs Mavs
Matchup
On Dec 25, 2022 Los Angeles Lakers (13-19) and Dallas Mavericks (17-16) will face off on Christmas night for the second time in three seasons. Both teams' rosters are loaded with superstars. However, it's not invariably a matchup of dominant teams from the Western Conference.
Los Angeles is attempting to claw its way up the standings in an effort to pass the Mavericks as Dallas clings to a play-in place and a.500 record. Anthony Davis, who was on a tear before suffering a foot injury a week ago and is now sidelined indefinitely, will be missed by L.A.
Lakers Chances of winning
Dallas isn't guaranteed to beat the spread in the Lakers vs. Mavericks game. LeBron James, a small forward who plays for the Lakers and has scored 30 points or more in each of the last six games, is the team's leader. In Friday's loss to the Hornets, he tallied 34 points and eight assists. James recently overtook Michael Jordan for sixth place on the list of all-time assists, and on December 2 at Milwaukee, he recorded his 900th career victory. He is the only player in league history to have scored, pulled down, and assisted 10,000 points or more.
Guard Lonnie Walker IV is another player boosting the Lakers' offensive output. Walker is averaging 15.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game in 29 starts this season. Walker's strike rate is 47.1%.
Why the Mavericks will WIN
Luka Doncic, the point guard for Dallas, led the team to victory against the Houston Rockets on Friday. In the victory, Doncic scored 50 points, handed out 10 assists, and grabbed eight rebounds. The longest streak in NBA history has been held by Doncic, who has scored 20 points or more in 37 games over the past two seasons. In 29 games this season, he has scored 20 or more points, and 22 other times, 30 or more. In 2022–2023, he now has 16 double-doubles. Doncic is also averaging the same numbers in his fifth season as Michael Jordan did.
The Mavericks' offence would not be complete without Christian Wood. With an average of 16.9 points, eight rebounds, and 1.3 assists, he ranks second on the team in scoring. In five of the last six games, he has scored at least ten points, including a 32-point, 12-rebound performance.
Despite both teams struggling this season with injuries, consistency, and personal needs. Both Teams have an equal matchup and it will be like no other Christmas game before.
Celtics vs Bucks
Matchup
Celtics vs Bucks, also can be worded as "Revenge for Giannis". Which dates back to the bucks striving for a back-to-back championship year being cut short in the 2022 NBA playoffs. Five NBA games are scheduled for Christmas Day, with the middle contest in the Eastern Conference expected to garner the most attention. At TD Garden, the Milwaukee Bucks take on the Boston Celtics in front of a large audience. In the 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals, the same teams faced off, and the Celtics prevailed in seven games. The top two teams in the East are the Celtics and Bucks, with Boston currently having a record of 23-10 and Milwaukee having a record of 22-10 to start the year.
Milwaukee and Boston both got off to a very impressive start to the season with their teams not entirely healthy. Despite regaining the top spot in the East on Friday night after winning and the Bucks losing, the Bucks could hit the Celtics at just the right moment, with the C freezing up lately. Still, this seems like a very interesting game. So let's jump into the bold Bucks predictions and see what happens in this game.
Why the Bucks will win
Despite the Celtics having a terrific season so far, losing their last 3 games in a row until beating the timberwolves yesterday. Both teams are witnessing their best players playing at an MVP level this season. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum will be a matchup everyone would be waiting for. Giannis Antetokounmpo is having an impressive season with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Through the first 16 games of the season, he is averaging 31.4 points, 14.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 54.7% from the field. He has also made 13 3-pointers so far this season, shooting 38.2% from beyond the arc. The Bucks will pull through the victory and take the number 1 spot in the East.
Warriors vs Grizzlies
Matchup
A Christmas Day matchup features the Memphis Grizzlies (20-11) going on the road to play the Golden State Warriors (15-18). The Grizzlies have been playing extremely well as of late, winning of eight of their last 10 games. On Friday, Memphis blew out the Phoenix Suns 125-100. Meanwhile, Golden State is on a two-game losing streak, dropping its last game 143-113 to the Brooklyn Nets. Stephen Curry (shoulder) remains out indefinitely for Golden State.
The Grizzlies second best player Desmond Bane will be returning to the lineup tomorrow, truly an early Christmas present for the Grizzlies.. Desmond Bane returned from injury on Friday. Bane picked up where he left off with 17 points. He's averaging 24.1 points per game this season. Brandon Clarke was the leading man off the bench with 24 points and 10 rebounds, but so was Jaren Jackson, Dillon Brooks added 16 points while Ja Morant added 12. Although he only had points, he recorded 11 assists. The Grizzlies lead the league in rebounding and third in blocked shots. They are sixth in points per game and eighth in head-to-head points.
Warriors' struggle
The Golden State Warriors have struggled this season and have been devastated by injuries, making things worse. The biggest loss is Stephen Curry, who is out until January. Andrew Wiggins also sat out with a hamstring injury. So at this point the warrior is just a shadow of his former self. The Warriors have lost five of their last six games, 15-18, 11th in the conference, six games behind the Grizzlies, and he's lost one since the play-in. They lost narrowly to the Nets on Wednesday, 143-113. And the game was an even bigger blast than the results suggested, as they trailed 91-51 at halftime. Klay Thompson wasn't even in that game, so they were significantly drained of firepower. The only bright spot was James Wiseman, who had his best game as a pro with 30 points and 6 rebounds. Thompson isn't on the injury list for Sunday's game, so he should go.
Why the Grizzlies will win
The Grizzlies are the league's number one rebounding team, and if Jaren Jackson Jr. played enough games to qualify, he could lead the NBA in blocks per game by a wide margin. Golden State won the playoff matchup, but Memphis won the series last season, where he went 3–1, and those games were all but one where he was decided in the single digits.
Even factoring in Golden State's home record, Memphis is an easy pick ahead of this matchup, as he's 6-1 without Curry and has lost 30+ points in a row in New York. The Warriors rose to beat the Celtics a few weeks ago, but that was when Curry was in the lineup. This is an opportunity for a perfectly healthy Grizzlies to pull off a convincing, nationally televised victory over the badly underrated Warriors after months of seeing playoff losses.
Nuggets vs Suns
Matchup
The Phoenix Suns didn't get off to a smooth start to the 2022-23 season, but they have a chance to make a big statement when they face the Western Conference leaders Denver Nuggets at Christmas. With the game just around the corner, I decided this would be a good time to announce my predictions for the Suns' Christmas Day in this big tournament.
The Suns have been dealing with drama on and off the court, mostly centered around center DeAndre Ayton, and Robert Thurber's investigation has forced him to sell the franchise. Nonetheless, Phoenix currently ranks fourth in the West, where he lost just 18 last season and has already lost 14 this season.
Phoenix will find itself at Christmas in a bitter clash with Denver, who has quietly emerged as the leader of the West. This should be a very fun game. With Christmas just around the corner, let's dive into Suns' predictions and see what happens in this game.
Why the Nuggets will win
The Denver Nuggets look dangerous. They are on his 20-11 record, winning three games in a row, and currently leading the Western Conference. The Phoenix Suns, enemies of Christmas, are going in the exact opposite direction.
Newly acquired Phoenix are nearing free fall and have been unable to play competitive ball without Devin Booker in the lineup. It seems poised to rise to the level of title contenders. One of Suns' weaknesses revealed in this recent slide is his lack of athleticism and toughness. They just don't have the physical prowess to put someone like Gordon on the list without Jae Crowder (or a suitable replacement). They fought hard enough to stop Jokic from dominating the painted area, and Gordon almost grabbed an easy shot to the rim when forced to double up.
Comments