It’s gut check time in Los Angeles – at least for the Lakers – who have now allowed the Oklahoma City Thunder to come back on them from double digit deficits twice in eight days’ time – putting the Thunder at 2-0 versus the Lakers.
It’s gut check time.
Granted, the Thunder at 2-6 aren’t going to win any tiebreakers with the Lakers come season’s end. But to lose the games you’ve earmarked as wins? I mean, c’mon … the Thunder isn’t exactly a murderer’s row of unprecedented athletic talent and prowess.
As one former NBA player said after reading my story about Sam Presti and the Thunder, “Oklahoma City has become a farm team … ”
So what does that say for the Lakers, who have allowed 26- and 19-point comebacks by the Thunder in eight days, both Oklahoma City wins?
In the first game, LeBron James sat with right ankle soreness while Charlie Morton of the Atlanta Braves pitched 16 more pitches after breaking his tibia.
Now, James misses a second game against the Thunder, this time with a rectus abdominis strain.
I’m sure that will be spun as he’s been busting his ass.
Usually this happens more after Christmas so James can attend whichever bowl game his home state Ohio State Buckeyes are playing in. If it’s truly happening with regularity, he should have it checked, because rectus abdominis strain is more a tennis injury than basketball.
That being said, Thursday night’s game was practically a cookie-cutter from the first game. Anthony Davis scored a point less (29 points Thursday night) in the second game and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a point more (28 points Thursday night) than they did in the first matchup.
The huge difference is that Russell Westbrook did not record a triple double in the second game like he did in Oklahoma City. Westbrook was also ejected from that first game for calling out Darius Bazley for a breakaway dunk in the waning seconds of the game.
The difference being that Westbrook was in the waning moments of Thursday’s game and turned the ball over with 21 seconds remaining to basically hand the win to the Thunder.
These two teams play each other again twice more – in Oklahoma City on December 10, 2021 and in L.A. on April 8, 2022.
********************
Philadelphia 76ers 109 | Seth Curry – 23 points
Joel Embiid – 9 rebounds Shake Milton, Tyrese Maxey – 5 assists |
Detroit Pistons 98 | Jerami Grant – 27 points
Cade Cunningham – 10 rebounds Cory Joseph – 5 assists |
NEXT UP
Nets at Pistons – Tonight
Sixers at Bulls – Saturday
********************
Utah Jazz 116 | Jordan Clarkson – 30 points
Rudy Gobert – 15 rebounds Mike Conley – 11 assists |
Atlanta Hawks 98 | Trae Young – 21 points
Clint Capela – 10 rebounds Trae Young – 7 assists |
NEXT UP
Jazz at Heat – Saturday
Hawks at Suns – Saturday
********************
Boston Celtics 95 | Jaylen Brown – 17 points
Robert Williams – 10 rebounds Dennis Schroder – 6 assists |
Miami Heat 78 | Jimmy Butler – 20 points
Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry, P.J. Tucker, Tyler Herro – 7 rebounds Kyle Lowry – 5 assists |
NEXT UP
Celtics at Mavericks – Saturday
Jazz at Heat – Saturday
********************
Houston Rockets 111 | Kevin Porter, Jr. – 20 points
Christian Wood – 15 rebounds Alperen Sengun, Christian Wood – 5 assists |
Phoenix Suns 123 | Devin Booker – 27 points
Deandre Ayton – 11 rebounds Chris Paul – 13 assists |
NEXT UP
Rockets at Nuggets – Saturday
Hawks at Suns – Saturday
********************
Oklahoma City Thunder 107 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – 28 points
Derrick Favors – 12 rebounds Josh Giddey – 8 assists |
Los Angeles Lakers 104 | Anthony Davis – 29 points
Anthony Davis – 18 rebounds Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook – 5 assists |
NEXT UP
Lakers at Trailblazers – Saturday
Thunder at Spurs – Sunday
********************
Tracy Graven is the Senior NBA Analyst for BackSportsPage.com.
He has written the NBA, done NBA Radio, and appeared as a guest for the last 21+ years for HoopsWorld, Swish Magazine, HoopsHype, the Coach Scott Fields Show, NBARadioShow.com, and is also tackling the NFL, NCAA, and will be pinch-hitting on some Major League Baseball coverage for BackSportsPage.
He’s spent 21 years in locker rooms in Orlando, Boise (CBA, G League), San Antonio, Phoenix, Denver, Oklahoma City, and Atlanta.
A corporate trainer by day, he currently resides in SEC Country near Knoxville, Tennessee.
Reach him on Twitter at @RealTMoneyMedia
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