The OKC Thunder sure love playing the Lakers. Through eight games they’ve lost six times but collected two wins in dramatic fashion versus LA. OKC followed up their victory at home when they came back from 26 points down with another comeback of 19 points, this time in LA.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked every bit of the rising star he is in leading the charge complete with a step-back logo 3-pointer to punctuate his performance.
Clearly, the Canadian has rebounded from a slow season start where his trademark efficiency was lagging. SGA is adapting to the extra defensive attention and is back on track to be in the mix for an All-Star selection and/or Most Improved Player.
OKC Thunder face San Antonio Spurs in a battle of two developing clubs
Still, this season is about tanking so while fans enjoyed taking down the Lakers it’s important to remember these thrilling finishes aren’t likely to occur often this season. Mind you, OKC will play the Lakers two more times this season (wink).
In their ninth game of the season, the Thunder will face another young developing team – the San Antonio Spurs. They arrive with a 3-6 record and fresh off a victory versus the Magic (their second against Orlando this season).
The Spurs young core features a handful of players who’ve been growing in the Spurs system and with the exit of most of their vets like DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills, and Rudy Gay the keys have been passed to those young stars.
Tonight’s match should offer an entertaining game featuring the youth on both clubs.
With that, it’s time to dive deeper into the semantics of this match.