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The Los Angeles Lakers (46-13) sit atop the Western Conference and will take on the struggling Philadelphia 76ers (37-23) Tuesday. Los Angeles is looking to follow up a thrilling victory against the New Orleans Pelicans with a second straight win while Philadelphia is looking to gain momentum while dealing with injuries to Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Josh Richardson.
The Lakers might be missing Anthony Davis, who is battling some tightness in his right knee. We broke down some favorable lineup choices for Showdown contests focusing on this interconference matchup here:
Update: Davis (knee) has been upgraded to probable vs. the Sixers.
Captain’s Picks
LeBron James ($17,100) notched a triple-double against the Pelicans and should continue to carry a heavy workload for the Lakers if Davis misses a second straight game. James enters Tuesday having recorded at least a double-double in each of his last two appearances and should benefit from going up against questionable wing defenders. Glenn Robinson III is listed as Philadelphia’s starting small forward, but the 76ers could opt to defend James with Tobias Harris instead. Either way, neither of these players should be able to contain James.
Shake Milton ($11,100) could be a bit of a reach here, but he’s beginning to emerge as Philadelphia’s hidden gem. The second-year guard exploded for a career-high 39 points against the Los Angeles Clippers in his last outing and tallied 54.8 DKFP. He’e been lights out from beyond the arc, and the Lakers’ guard play hasn’t been good as of late. Milton is averaging 20.4 points per game for his last five appearances and has led Philadelphia. Harris ($13,200) would be the safer 76ers pick, but both he and Milton pale in comparison to James.
FLEX Options
Kyle Kuzma ($6,200) scored 20 points and logged 35 minutes against New Orleans earlier this week while Davis was out, and could get a second straight start at power forward. He’s taken at least 10 shots in six straight games. James needs a co-star, and Kuzma is the clear favorite to assume that position when Davis isn’t healthy.
Alec Burks ($5,400) should be the first option at shooting guard until Richardson recovers from a concussion. He could also run the point because of how short Philadelphia is on ball handlers. Furkan Korkmaz ($4,200) is another potential benefactor.