Lakers vs. Thunder Preview and Game Thread: A potential Playoff series
The Lakers have a chance to improve their position in the Western Conference standings and win the season series against the Thunder with a victory on Monday
The Lakers continue their six-game homestand on Monday when they take on the surging Oklahoma City Thunder. This will be the Lakers’ 62nd game of the season, which means they have 19 more to go to fight for a favorable spot in the Western Conference standings.
Start time and TV schedule
Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
When: 7:30 p.m. PT, Mar. 4
Where: Crypto.com Arena
Watch: NBA TV, Spectrum Sportsnet
The Lakers’ dispiriting loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday led to a missed opportunity for them to climb up the Western Conference standings. With the Phoenix Suns losing to the Houston Rockets on the same day on top of both the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks failing to get their own victories on Sunday, the Lakers could’ve been three games behind the fifth seed but unfortunately, their recent defeat kept them in the 10th seed, behind everyone else.
It’s been that kind of a season for the Lakers where they just can’t seem to get over the hump. It’s the exact opposite of the trajectory of this young and upcoming OKC Thunder team, who are currently enjoying being the first seed of the Western Conference with a 41-18 record.
If the Thunder remain on top of the conference while the Lakers stay in the 10th seed and get past the play-in tournament, there’s a good chance that these two teams see each other in the first round of the playoffs. Obviously, there are 19 more games to go and a lot can happen in a span of a month and a half but if things are trending the way it is, Monday’s game against the Thunder could very much be a preview of what’s to come in the postseason.
The Lakers have actually already won twice against the Thunder this season, both at home and on the road. They have the chance to win the season series on Monday. The purple and gold will also have the rest advantage in this one as they’re going to face an OKC team that will be on the second night of a back-to-back. The ideal scenario for the Lakers is for the Thunder to defeat the Suns on Sunday and then lose to L.A. on Monday and we’re halfway to that after an OKC win against Phoenix.
But for the Lakers to really control their fate in this game, it would be best for them to get off to an early start. That’s what they did in their last meeting against the Thunder, who they held to just 105 points.
Los Angeles won that game by limiting the best 3-point shooting team in the league to 30.6% and winning the paint battle against them (64-44) by a wide margin. It would also be nice if they do the same while also stepping up their defense on Jalen Williams who dropped 25 points against them last game. The Lakers have done a good job limiting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren in their last two games so hopefully that continues on Monday.
What I personally want the Lakers to do in this one is win the defensive rebounding battle, which Darvin Ham said was a big reason why they lost to the Nuggets last Saturday. As I reiterated in my recent preview, the Lakers have struggled to rebound the ball since they lost Jarred Vanderbilt to injury. Apparently, the Thunder are worse than them in this department so here’s the Lakers’ opportunity to turn their weakness into their strength.
Remember, this Thunder team had 21 second chance points against them last time thanks to their 13 offensive rebounds, which is too high for a team that currently ranks 26th in the league in rebounds per game.
The overall success of the Lakers in this one will depend on how they contain the Thunder and if they do it like they did in their last two games against them, then there’s a good chance the Lakers can make a statement — one that should send a warning that they can be a matchup problem against the Thunder if they do indeed meet in the Playoffs.
Let’s see if the Lakers can do just that as they hope to get back in the winning column on Monday.
Notes and Updates:
- The Lakers will have the rest advantage in this one but note that the Thunder have a 7-3 record on games they play on the second night of a back-to-back. They’re still really good and haven’t removed their foot off the gas all season. They’re one of the few teams with a top-five offense and defense.
- For the Lakers’ injury report, Anthony Davis (bilateral Achilles tendinopathy) and Cam Reddish (right ankle sprain) are probable.
- LeBron James (left ankle peroneal tendinopathy) is listed as questionable while Jarred Vanderbilt (right foot soreness), Christian Wood (left knee effusion) and Gabe Vincent (left knee surgery) and Collin Castleton (right wrist fracture) are all out.
- The Thunder have yet to release a report for this one since they’re playing on a back-to-back but for what it’s worth, it was only Jaylin Williams (knee) that was ruled out in their game versus the Suns.
You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani