Wednesday, August 5, 2020

Thunderstruck: OKC Routs Lakers

Final Score: OKC 105 LAL 86 [L] (51-16)

I'm just going to run through this game really quickly. The Thunder stormed on the Lakers this game and never looked back in a wire-to-wire 105-86 game.

I didn't pay too much attention to the game. At this point, the Lakers had nothing to play for after clinching the #1 seed in the West. They can throw in the rest of the seeding games. But, they were flat tonight. Only three players were in double figures. Too many fouls. They shot 5-30 from three point land. I'm not worried about this loss. But, the effort was brutal on both ends of the floor. OKC easily dictated the pace of the game. They didn't allow the Lakers to run the floor to get the offense going. They were the more physical team and a team with a bigger sense of urgency for playoff positioning.

Overall, not much to say. Lakers have nothing to lose at this point. But, this should be a time to "sharpen the blade" a bit come playoff time. Teams had a long layoff before the restart and we're seeing some players take a long time trying to find their rhythm back. Teams shouldn't completely go on cruise control. This doesn't mean asking for wins, but we need to see signs of readiness as we draw closer to the postseason. We can hope for a better effort tomorrow against the Rockets. You can bet the Lakers will likely see them again in the 2nd round. I'll see you guys again tomorrow.

No comments: