02/08: LAKERS vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Welcome in to the 1st half open thread and discussion of the Lakers' matchup vs. the Thunder. Considering what went down earlier today before the trade deadline, expect to see a really shorthanded Laker team, especially on the bench. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

OKC 46 LAL 52

Kuzma had a couple more seconds to get across half court, but it is what it is. Not the end to the quarter the Lakers wanted, but fortunately they're still in the lead. The biggest stat here is that during this quarter, the Lakers went 6/9 from behind the 3-point arc. KCP and Kuzma provided most of the range from that distance and so did Ingram. Combined with the Lakers' defense and ability to push the ball and attack inside, it's what's giving them the edge against the Thunder. OKC is keeping themselves alive though. As I said before, Paul George is having his way here during this game. The mismatch between Jerami Grant and KCP hurt the Laker defense a little bit. Not to mention, 2nd chance opportunities and getting to the foul line also kept them alive. The way this game is trending, this should go in the Lakers' favor. PG13 going off this game, the Lakers can live with as long as no other Thunder player steps up to this game. George also showed he's human with a couple turnovers and Randle and Hart got blocks from him as well. They just gotta keep pushing the pace in transition and keep shooting from three as long as its working. Lopez's 3-point shot in particular is not working currently. Most of his shots were short or hit the back of the rim. He's gotta be better from that range. The 2nd half will open up shortly.

Q1

OKC 27 LAL 30

Nice strong finish after a slow start. That quarter was dominated by Paul George from early get-go. He was getting shot he wanted on the court. That, the Lakers could live with as long as no other player from the Thunder step up. They came back by dominating in the paint and playing their fast pace style of play from defense to offense. No Westbrook or Melo, they gotta take advantage of this matchup even if Clarkson and Nance are no longer there to provide the spark off the bench. So far, that doesn't seem to be a problem with Kuzma taking on a bigger load and Brewer stepping up to the plate.