OKC Thunder tackle West top seeded Lakers – gameday preview

Injuries could play a factor in the third meeting between the OKC Thunder and LA Lakers allowing the home team to steal back a victory. Gameday breaks down the five keys to winning.

In two previous meetings between the OKC Thunder and LA Lakers, neither match was won until the final frame. Those early matches against the Lakers occurred at the time the Thunder were still figuring out their system and developing chemistry.

To say this is a different club than the team the Lakers faced early in the season is an understatement. OKC exited those games 5-10 on the season. Since that time the Thunder hold a record of 17-6 which is very close to the 18-5 record the Lakers have amassed over the same period.

Suffice to say the team who’ll be on the hardwood today is a much improved Thunder squad who’ve figured out how to mesh their offense and lockdown defensively. They are clutch time masters so if the Lakers get into another end of game scenario this improved version of the Thunder knows how to close games.

Additionally, the Thunder continues to be a work in progress as they build each game out. Case in point, through the last 10 games OKC boasts a top-four defense compared to the Lakers 12th ranked defense over the same period.

That’s not to say this game will be a cakewalk for the Thunder. After all, they are facing the top-rated Western Conference seed in the Lakers with two top-five talents in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The latter missed the game in Dallas with a sore tailbone after a nasty fall versus the Knicks and may be out again.

And, the schedule Gods also serve up the favor of the Lakers playing on consecutive nights so if AD is out again it could be the extra advantage the Thunder need if especially if the game is kept close.

With that let’s dive into the specifics of what the Thunder needs to do to translate this match into a victory.