Gameday Preview: OKC Thunder aim for bounce back victory vs. LeBron-less Lakers
By Alex Mcewen
The OKC Thunder are in the midst of their first season slump and aspire to get back on track this evening vs. the LA Lakers. Gameday preview serves up the keys to winning.
The OKC Thunder are coming off a 142-126 thrashing courtesy of the Atlanta Hawks. Unfortunately, Oklahoma City could not build off their impressive bounce-back win over the Spurs. The loss to Atlanta presented similar concerns that arose in losses to Washington and San Antonio.
The Thunder’s porous perimeter defense allowed the Hawks to shoot 18 of 37 for 48.7 percent efficiency from distance. The performance marked the highest 3-point percentage in a game for the Hawks this season and the fourth highest 3-point percentage allowed from Oklahoma City this year.
It’s worth noting the Hawks are not a good 3-point shooting team. Coming into the match against the Thunder the Hawks ranked 28, shooting 33.4 percent on treys. Therefore, the shooting display was equally as impressive from the Hawks as the defense was putrid from the Thunder.
Moreover, Atlanta’s efficiency was not limited to the perimeter, their offense was clicking on all cylinders. The Hawks posted not one, but two 45-point quarters. It was the first time a team has 45 or more in multiple frames this season and only the 17th and 18th occurrence of a team scoring 45-plus points in a single quarter.
All in all, for one night OKC allowed the Hawks to transform the newly renamed State Farm Arena back into the Phillips Highlight Center. The Thunder’s defense hit a low point for the season if they do not rebound quickly they could free fall in a rugged West playoff race.