Two teams at the top of the playoff picture in their respective conferences will go head-to-head when the Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors face off on Saturday night. The contest will be the first of eight "seeding" games for the Raptors, and second for the Lakers, who re-opened their season with a victory over the Clippers on Thursday night.
Entering the contest, the Lakers occupy the top spot in the West while the Raptors sit second in the East behind the Milwaukee Bucks. Both teams are looking to build some momentum before the playoffs get underway. The Raptors won the lone contest between the two teams 113-104 during the regular season way back in November. With a win, the Lakers can clinch the top seed in the West. By defeating the Raptors, they would also simultaneously clinch the top seed in the East for the Bucks, too. The Lakers will also secure the top seed in the conference if the Clippers lose to the Pelicans.
Ahead of their meeting on Saturday night, here's everything you need to know about Lakers vs. Raptors.
How to Watch
- Date: Saturday, Aug. 1 -- 8:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Disney Wide World of Sports -- Orlando, Florida
- TV: ESPN | Stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
- Odds: Lakers -2.5 | O/U: 223.5
Storylines
Lakers: The Lakers started their stay in Orlando in a solid manner by pulling out a tough win over the Clippers on Thursday night, thanks largely to a dominant performance from All-Star forward Anthony Davis (34 points, eight rebounds, four assists). The Lakers basically have the top spot in the West locked up at this point in time, so the rest of the seeding slate will be about continuing to grow chemistry and incorporating new additions like Dion Waiters and J.R. Smith into the rotation.
Raptors: The Raptors have one goal in Orlando: defend the NBA title that they won last season. No, they no longer have reigning Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, but Toronto still has a very solid squad with a ton of postseason experience. They are eager to prove that they can get the job done even without Leonard, and they will get a tough test in the Lakers right out of the gate. The game should serve as a good barometer to see how the Raptors look after an extremely long layoff.
Prediction
The fact the Lakers already have a game under their belt should work in their favor a bit. They already got an opportunity to work off some of the rust that build up over the time away and get accustomed to the feel of playing a meaningful game in an empty arena, while the Raptors will have to deal with all of that for the first time. Plus, the Raptors will have to prove that they can slow Anthony Davis, something that the Clippers were often unable to do on Thursday night. Pick: Lakers -2.5
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