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The Los Angeles Lakers at this point don’t know which players will be with them tomorrow much less next week as they continue to try to trade for New Orleans Pelicans big man Anthony Davis. What the Lakers do know is that LeBron James will be back as they take on the Indiana Pacers tonight at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Lakers have continued their slide down the Western Conference standings. They are 27-26 on the season, lost their last game and are 4-6 in their last 10 games. They currently sit at 10th in the Western Conference.The Pacers have struggled without Victor Oladipo, but are still fifth in the East as they built up a healthy lead over the Brooklyn Nets prior to Oladipo’s injury. But the Pacers have won their last two, have split their last 10 and are 34-19 on the season. The last time they met, the Lakers won 104-96 on November 29 behind LeBron James’ 38 points and seven assists. Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis led Indiana with 20 points and 15 rebounds.

LeBron James made his return to the court last Thursday in a 123-120 overtime win, but after James played heavy minutes, he was held out on Saturday in a 101-115 loss against the Golden State Warriors. Depending on who you follow, it seems like things were tense for the Lakers after that game, which reportedly included some of the veteran players approaching and trading words with head coach Luke Walton. Aside from Brandon Ingram, who finished with 20 points, no one really stood out on the Lakers roster. Kyle Kuzma, who has normally been the go-to in James’ absence, had just 13 points and was one of six Lakers who reached double figures, but a majority of them really just broke the mark. The Lakers’ slow start and finish, scoring 24 in the first quarter and just 15 in the fourth, likely did them in. The Warriors played enough to get them the win, but it was very much a winnable game for the Lakers, with Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant not having the standout games they have had lately. The many questions surrounding the future of the Lakers and the ability for the roster to change drastically basically overnight could prove to be an issue and distraction until the trade deadline comes to an end.

The Pacers and coach Nate McMillan have tried using several different lineups since the team lost Victor Oladipo for the season. The Pacers lost four straight after the injury, but have no won their last two, a 95-88 win over the Miami Heat on Saturday and a 109-107 win over the Pelicans yesterday.
A back-to-back after a hard-fought win is obviously not ideal, but the Pacers will look to challenge themselves after experiencing some success lately.
Inserting starting point guard Cory Joseph has been McMillan’s latest lineup adjustment, and he has started in the last two wins. While Joseph has not done much individually, he has experience being a player that is known as a steady hand at the point. Darren Collison has continued to play well and had 22 points and six assists against the Pelicans. Domantas Sabonis has provided a spark off the bench for the Pacers all season, and he had 16 points to go along with 13 rebounds last night. Defending LeBron James will obviously be a tough task for the Pacers, but look for McMillan to counter with Thaddeus Young to try to slow down the all-star forward.

Los Angeles is a 3.5 point favorite to win tonight’s game on the road. The over/under is 217 points and the moneyline has not budged since the Lakers opened at -155. Against the spread, the Lakers are 24-12-17 and Indiana is 25-16-12. Los Angeles is 11-14 on the road and 20-12 as the favorite, while the Pacers are 18-7 at home and 8-9 as the underdog

The Oklahoma City Thunder (31/18 and Orlando Magic (20-30) are two teams currently on totally different trajectories, but both will be looking for an important win in tonight’s matchup in Orlando. The visiting Thunder are one of the hottest teams in the NBA, as they are currently on a five-game win streak that has propelled them up to third place in a competitive Western Conference. After an impressive three-game homestand that culminated with a win against the Eastern Conference-leading Milwaukee Bucks, the Thunder will look to bring the same energy to Orlando as they begin a three-game East coast road trip. On the other hand, the reeling Magic return to Orlando after another close defeat, this time at the hands of the Houston Rockets. The Magic have now lost six out of their last seven, and they desperately need a home win to stay in contention for an Eastern Conference playoff spot.

The Magic began the season with aspirations of making it back to the playoffs for the first times since 2012, but those playoff dreams have begun to slip away as the season has progressed. The Magic were in playoff position as late as December, but they now find themselves in 11th place in the Eastern Conference after a dreadful 3-13 run. One major problem that has plagued the Magic during their recent stretch is their inability to close out games in the fourth quarter. In Sunday’s loss against the Rockets, the Magic led by 15 points midway through the third quarter, but they faltered down the stretch, eventually falling 103-98. The bright spots of the Magic continue to be center Nikola Vucevic and forward Aaron Gordon, 2 big men who love to drive to the basket. In Sunday’s contest, Vucevic contributed 19 points and collected 17 rebounds, while Gordon added 23 points and 10 rebounds in his 40-minute performance. However, while the Magic’s interior offense thrives, their outside shooting continues to hurt them at the end of close games. Another major concern for the Magic is the performance of rookie lottery pick Mo Bamba. Bamba, a lanky 7-foot center, has struggled mightily in his first NBA season, averaging only six points per contest in his rookie campaign. Against the Rockets, Bamba had a particularly subpar performance, contributing no points, rebounds, or assists in 14 minutes before being taken off after committing three quick fouls. Bamba will look to bounce back from the tough game and help the Magic snap out of their rut against the Thunder.

Recently, the Thunder have looked like one of the most intimidating teams in the Western Conference, and much of their success can be attributed to the emergence of Paul George. Before this season, George was a perennial all-star, but he struggled to become a full-fledged superstar. However, George has taken over the reins of the Thunder offense this season, and he has transformed into a true game changer. George now finds himself squarely in the MVP discussion, and he’s only improved as the season has progressed. In Sunday’s win against the Bucks, George outdueled fellow MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo, leading all scorers with 36 points. In addition, George added 13 rebounds and 3 steals to help secure the Thunder’s 118-112 victory. George will look to continue his stellar play as the Thunder continue to fight for home-court advantage in a loaded Western Conference. To complement George’s Herculean effort, the rest of the Thunder starting five also scored in double digits against the Bucks, allowing some of the pressure to be lifted off of George’s back. Point guard Russell Westbrook had his 16th triple-double of the season, scoring 13 points, collecting 13 rebounds, and dishing out 11 assists in 36 minutes. Center Steven Adams left the game early with a right ankle sprain, but he was able to return in the second quarter, finishing with 14 points and 8 rebounds. Jerami Grant, brother of Magic guard Jerian Grant, also had a big night against the Bucks on both sides of the floor, adding 16 points and 5 blocks. The Thunder offense has been in-sync for the last two months (they haven’t scored less than 100 points since December 14), and they are poised for another big night against the struggling Magic.

The Thunder have opened up as 5 point favorites for tonight’s matchup in Orlando. On the season, the Thunder are an impressive 27-22 ATS, one of the best records ATS in the NBA this season. Furthermore, the Thunder are also 14-11 ATS on the road. Meanwhile, the Magic have struggled at home, only going 10-13 ATS at the Amway Center this season. The over-under for tonight’s matchup currently sits at 221 points.<div style="font-size: xx-small;color: #0000ff;display: inline-block;text-align: center;width: 100%;">
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