Los Angeles Lakers: Three things to watch for against Portland

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3. Isaiah Thomas to hit the game-winning shot

While this is a very specific thing to predict and the chances of it happening are slim, something tells me that Isaiah Thomas is going to hit the game-winning shot Monday night.

And when he does, it will cement his arrival on the Lakers. Fans have already flipped the coin with Thomas. Going from hating his defense and considering him a rental to actually petitioning for the Lakers to re-sign him after the season.

Re-signing Thomas would likely hurt any chance of the Lakers getting another star, that discussion is for another day. Monday night, everyone is going to be talking about how the “King in the Fourth” has returned.

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Some bad defense aside, Thomas has been pretty good since the All-Star Break and has thrived alongside Lonzo Ball; something I definitely was doubtful of. Thomas is averaging 19.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game since the break. Playing in under 30 minutes each game, these numbers are actually really good for Thomas.

Perhaps that hip injury is finally fully healed. Thomas did rush himself back into action to prove he is worth a max contract; the original timetable for return was the All-Star Break after all. Thomas seems more explosive than he was in Cleveland. While he is not Boston Isaiah Thomas still, he is much closer to that than he was earlier.

Thus, after some strong performances, Thomas is going to put the icing on the cake with a game-winning shot. Both contests against the Trail Blazers were decided by three points. This time around, it will be the Lakers winning by three on the backend of a clutch shot from Thomas.

Next: How does LA stack up in the LeBron sweepstakes?

If it does happen, just remember that you heard it here first. Isaiah Thomas is slowly winning over Los Angeles Lakers’ fans. Tonight, he will complete that process.

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