Lakers @ Spurs

Who will WIN this matchup?

Los Angeles Lakers (15-9)

@ San Antonio Spurs (11-14)

Current odds:

Los Angeles Lakers: (-110)

San Antonio Spurs: (-110)

• The line for this game is even.

• LeBron James looks to torture San Antonio for the second time in three nights when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Spurs on Friday to conclude a home-and-home set. James scored 20 of his 42 points in the fourth quarter on Wednesday to help the Lakers defeat the Spurs 121-113 to stretch their winning streak to four games. Wednesday’s victory marked the first time Los Angeles defeated San Antonio in three chances this season and the win featured the third 40-point effort of the season for James, who is becoming mentioned as an early MVP candidate.

• While the Lakers have won 13 of their past 17 games, San Antonio has dropped four of its last five and coach Gregg Popovich pointed at James as the reason for his team’s latest setback. “LeBron was the generator,” Popovich told reporters. “He made some great 3s, he drove it to the bucket, hit a lot of open people on the drive. He did it all. He got it done.”

• Small forward Brandon Ingram sprained his left ankle in the first quarter of Wednesday’s game and didn’t travel with the club for a two-game trip to San Antonio and Memphis. Ingram, who averages 15.2 points, is slated to undergo an MRI exam to rule out serious damage and a timetable for his return will be determined after the results come back. “Just next-man-up mentality. He’s a big part of what we do,” Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma told reporters about the team replacing Ingram. “Big part offensively and defensively, so for us, it’s all about stepping up. Next man has to get in there.”

• Veteran forward Rudy Gay exploded for 31 points on 12-of-21 shooting against the Lakers one night after going scoreless in 19 minutes in a loss to the Utah Jazz. It was the first 30-point effort for Gay in over 25 months, the last coming in the fifth game of the 2016-17 season when he scored 30 as a member of the Sacramento Kings. Shooting guard DeMar DeRozan scored 32 points on Wednesday for his second 30-point outing in three games and seventh of the season.

• James is averaging 36.3 points, eight rebounds and eight assists against the Spurs this season.

• San Antonio G Bryn Forbes is averaging six points on 8-of-23 shooting over the past three games.

• Kuzma scored 22 points on Wednesday and has topped 20 in four of the past six games.