CLEVELAND CAVALIERS VS. LOS ANGELES LAKERS EXPERT PICK – APRIL 6, 2024 — Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Total Apex Sports. One of the games on tap from today’s slate features the Cleveland Cavaliers (46-31 SU, 36-39-2 ATS) taking on the Los Angeles Lakers (45-33 SU, 37-41 ATS).
Here is a look at how both squads have played coming into this matchup.
Tipoff
When: Saturday, April 6, 2024 @ 3:30 PM ET
Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
TV: SportsNet LA and CW43
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Los Angeles Lakers – Regular Season Stats & Trends
Can The Cavaliers Hang On To The No. 3 Spot In the Eastern Conference?
Cleveland Cavaliers Season Stats:
- Scoring Offense: 112.6 PPG – 19TH
- Offensive Efficiency: 116.9 points per 100 possessions – 17TH
- Scoring Defense: 109.9 PPG – 7TH
- Defensive Efficiency: 114.1 points per 100 possessions – 8TH
The Cavaliers currently own the No. three spot in the Eastern Conference. But their margin for error will be small the rest of the way as they lead the Orlando Magic and New York Knicks by just one game. And the Pacers are just two and a half games back.
Inconsistency has gotten the best of this team as of late. They have won just four times over their last 10 outings. But they want to get in the winners column against the Los Angeles Lakers.
In their most recent outing, the Cavaliers suffered a 122-101 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night. Four of Cleveland’s starters reached double figures headlined by 24 points from Donovan Mitchell.
Jarrett Allen and Even Mobley scored 20 points each. Darius Garland finished with 15 points and eight assists.
Cleveland was outscored by a 72-47 margin in the first half. While they played better in the second half, the 25-point deficit was too much to overcome.
Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the game:
The first half, you give up 72 points, it’s hard to come back from. I was proud of the guys’ effort in the second half. I thought we competed at a much higher level.
The Suns shot the ball at an efficient clip – 50.6 percent overall and 54.5 percent from beyond the arc. Cleveland will need a better effort at the end of the floor against a Lakers squad that is desperately trying to avoid the play-in tournament.
Can The Los Angeles Lakers Avoid The Play-In Tournament?
Los Angeles Lakers Season Stats:
- Scoring Offense: 117.9 PPG – 8TH
- Offensive Efficiency: 117.0 points per 100 possessions – 15TH
- Scoring Defense: 117.5 PPG – 23RD
- Defensive Efficiency: 116.6 points per 100 possessions – 14TH
The Los Angeles Lakers are in the ninth spot in the conference playoff race and lead the 10th-place Golden State Warriors by two games. On the other side of the narrative, Los Angeles is just two games behind the sixth-place Phoenix Suns, and they have produced eight wins across their last 10 decisions.
This includes wins over the Brooklyn Nets (116-104), Toronto Raptors (128-111), and the Washington Wizards (125-120). Anthony Davis paced the Lakers’ scoring attack in that contest, torching the opposition with 35 points on 10-for-17 shooting from the floor. He also pulled down 18 rebounds and blocked three shots as well.
LeBron James added 25 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, and three steals. Rui Hachimura finished with 19 points and seven rebounds against his former team.
The win over the Wizards was the team’s eighth in its last nine games. As impressive as this stretch has been, though, the Los Angeles Lakers cannot afford to let their guard down against a Cavaliers team that has just as much to play for as they do.
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