The Lakers take on the Thunder
Defeating the Magic and the Suns one after another, the Lakers returned to the ranks of the play-offs, plus the Lone Ranger lost to the Hornets, and the team came to the eighth position in the West, but at this moment, the Lakers did not dare to have the slightest joy, because the Pelicans and Thunder behind them, the record is the same, once the Lakers lose, they will fall to the eleventh position in the West, and the cruelty of the Western playoff competition can be imagined. In this game, the Lakers also welcomed a special opponent, that is, the Oklahoma Thunder.
Both teams currently have the same record, and whoever wins the game will be able to take the lead in the playoffs. In such an important game, Alexander chose to continue playing back-to-back, and as for the Lakers, starting point guard Russell was out due to injury, which has a self-evident impact on the team.
Davis dominates the game
Head coach Hamm immediately put Schroeder in the starting line-up, where his preference for Schroeder was placed. However, with the Lakers sending away Wilson and Russell absent, Schroder is indeed the best choice for the starting No. 1. At the beginning of the first quarter, the Lakers sitting at home showed a determination to win, Davis scored 15 points and 5 rebounds on 6-of-7 shooting, Reeves had 5 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists, Beasley on the bench also had 7 points and 1 steal, the team blossomed more, and scored 41 points in a single quarter, which was simply unstoppable.
Playing away from home, and back-to-back Thunder, only scored 25 points in the first quarter, including Alexander alone with 8 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist, Jaylen Williams 5 points, 2 rebounds and 1 steal, Dort 6 points and 1 block, and Keedy 4 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist. Coming to the second quarter with a 16-point lead, the Lakers were in trouble, Earl had 7 points and 3 rebounds, and Keady had 10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, as well as 1 steal and 1 block, leading the Thunder to a wave of 13-3 mini-climax, once narrowing the gap to 6 points.
Davis returned to the court and made consecutive shots under the basket, scoring seven straight points to help stabilize the situation. Alexander kept scoring with free throws, but Schroder also responded, with free throws + jumpers helping the Lakers maintain a 10-point lead. In the final moments, Alexander made a three-point shot to help the team close the gap to six points. Reeves fouled again, making both free throws, and the Lakers led the Thunder by eight points at halftime, 74-66.
The eighth in the west refused to let go
The Thunder are truly brilliant, a young team full of talent that hasn't been affected by back-to-back in the slightest. Alexander continued to show his strength as a star with 17 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists in the first half, and Keady also had 14 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, promising a triple-double. That's the Thunder's twins, and it's the key to this team's daring to end the swing. Dort and Jaylen Williams each scored 9 points, and Earl on the bench also had 7 points and 3 rebounds, and the team shot 8-of-14 from three-point range in the first half, but fortunately, the Lakers also shot 9-of-23.
Davis shouldered the burden of the team, and with James and Russell all absent, Davis scored 23 points and 7 rebounds on 9-of-11 shooting. The team's second-best player is Lonnie Walker, who has been abandoned by Hamm, because Russell is out, Walker returned to the rotation, shooting 6 of 9, 3 of 5 from three-point range, scoring 15 points and 2 rebounds, becoming the best helper around thick eyebrows. Beasley also had 10 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist, Reeves had 7 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, and Schroder had 8 points and 3 assists. The determination shown by the Lakers in the first half is undoubtedly telling us that they are not willing to give up the eighth place in the West.