A Blog devoted to Lakers News, Commentary, and Analysis
Earlier this season, JJ Redick mentioned that the best players in the NBA are showmen. They love being on the grandest stage and putting on an incredible performance for an audience that demands it. In the NBA, there is no stage bigger than the playoffs. It’s a circumstance where the best can cement their legacy […]
Success in the regular season doesn’t always carry over to the playoffs. The difference is bigger than ever, as lower seeds are advancing more often. The games get tougher, players play harder and defenses focus for all 48 minutes. A playoff riser is a term for players who elevate their game and perform at their […]
The series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder shifts to LA, where Game 3 will be held on Saturday. The purple and gold aim to protect homecourt by finally getting a win over the Thunder. Start time and TV schedule Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder When: 6:30 p.m. PT, May 7 Where: […]
The game of basketball can be complex. But often, its solutions can be simple. For the Lakers, there are two things they consistently haven’t been able to do this postseason: grab rebounds and control the basketball. Against Houston in the first round, they eventually won the battle of the boards as the series progressed, but […]
Two games in four days in Oklahoma City have the Lakers quickly trailing 2-0 in the series, a daunting deficit, considering the opponent they are facing and the fact that history is not on their side. The team that wins the first two of a series advances 92% of the time. The purple and gold […]
When a team loses in blowout fashion like the Lakers did in Game 2 against the Thunder, there isn’t just one reason. There are plenty of things that didn’t go LA’s way in this contest. The Lakers had far too many turnovers with 21, multiple bench players didn’t give the team much, and Deandre Ayton […]
The Lakers came into their series against the Thunder aware that fouls and officiating would be a talking point. Before the series even started, head coach JJ Redick made sarcastic comments about how little OKC fouls. There was no laughing at the final whistle of Thursday’s Game 2 loss, though. Following a night when LA […]
One of the things that separates good teams from great teams is depth. Look back to the 2020 Lakers. They had 10 realistic options they could turn to in the playoffs and all had moments. They could pull in an Alex Caruso for a Game 6 to seal the series, a move that made them […]
Winning on the road is tough, but beating the Thunder in OKC feels impossible. The Lakers did a lot right in their Game 2 loss. They got a much better offensive game from Austin Reaves, won the points-in-the-paint battle 52-46 and Rui Hachimura remained elite, scoring 16 points on 60% shooting. But the Thunder outscored […]
The Lakers once again saw a tight game turn into a double-digit loss on Thursday. LA held a lead midway through the third but again saw the Thunder pull away in the fourth to win by double digits, 125-107. The purple and gold had one of its best quarters of the postseason in the second, […]
The Lakers’ offense has been struggling all postseason long, and Game 1 against the Thunder was no exception. Los Angeles failed to crack 100 points, losing on the road to OKC. In fact, in their last five playoff games, LA has only scored above the century mark once. Despite the inability to put the ball […]
It’s easy to have camaraderie when teams are winning. Jokes are funnier, roles are embraced and the game of basketball is pure bliss. How you respond to adversity, though, says a lot more about your team. So far, the Lakers remain united even after falling behind 1-0 in their series against the Thunder. There are […]
The series between the Lakers and Thunder remains in Oklahoma City, with Game 2 on Thursday. The purple and gold aim to even the series at 1-1. Start time and TV schedule Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder When: 6:30 p.m. PT, May 7 Where: Paycom Center Watch: Prime Video The first playoff game between the […]
Game 1 against the Thunder was the biggest game of the season for the Lakers, and Austin Reaves didn’t show up. He was historically bad, shooting 3-16 from the field, which was the worst shooting night a Laker has had in a postseason in over three decades. It’s just one game, and there can be […]
While losing Game 1 against the Thunder was tough for the Lakers, winning Game 2 won’t get much easier. The team released its injury report ahead of their next contest, listing Jarred Vanderbilt as doubtful and Luke Kennard as questionable. For Vando, not being automatically ruled out is actually good news. He suffered a gruesome […]
Because we live in a world of 24/7 media coverage, there’s bound to be lots of really bad takes. The latest involved Luka Dončić and his trip to Spain. After suffering his hamstring injury, Luka pretty quickly jetted to Europe for injections in hopes of accelerating his return to the court. However, as we now […]
Luka Dončić spoke to the media for the first time since suffering his hamstring strain in early April on Wednesday following the Lakers’ practice. The news was mixed, but the biggest takeaway is that he is far from a return. Luka was told his original timeline for returning was eight weeks. Since he went down […]
No team won more games than the Thunder this season. A well-oiled machine with back-to-back 60-win regular seasons flexed its basketball muscle Tuesday night. While the final score is not entirely indicative of a back-and-forth affair, a dominant team performance nonetheless forced LA back to the drawing board. Facing the clear-cut deepest team in the […]
Against a team as good as the Thunder, there is no margin for error. LeBron James discussed the attention to detail required for LA to have success against OKC before the series even began. So, when LA played Game 1 and had 18 turnovers, that didn’t exactly put them in a position for success. The […]
Well, that wasn’t a particularly encouraging loss. Despite facing a Thunder team coming off a week of rest, the Lakers were the ones who looked out of sorts for most of Tuesday’s Game 1 loss. While they didn’t trail by 30 at halftime — an improvement over the last two trips to Oklahoma City — […]
In the playoffs, rotations shrink, but perhaps Lakers head coach JJ Redick will have to open his up a bit. The Lakers had only eight players who logged at least 10 minutes and with so many subpar performances, someone else needed to be called upon. The Thunder had 10 players play more than 10 minutes […]
A nasty injury for Jarred Vanderbilt may have not just ruled him out for the game, but for an extended time. In the second quarter of Tuesday’s Game 1, Vando tried to block a fastbreak dunk attempt by Chet Holmgren and, in the process, smacked the backboard with his hand. He immediately doubled over in […]
A rough offensive night for the Lakers left them struggling to find enough scoring to keep up with the Thunder in Game 1 as they fell to OKC, 108-90. After a fast start to the contest, LA trailed OKC for the final three quarters. However, the lead would ebb and flow as the purple and […]
From Luke Kennard’s Game 1 performance, to Marcus Smart’s offensive surge in Game 2, to Deandre Ayton’s play in Game 6, there were so many great moments for the Lakers during their series win over the Rockets. While LA’s victory lap has to come to an end as they prepare to face the Thunder in […]
Eliminating the Thunder from the playoffs is no easy task. Last year, no one could do it. This season, they have yet to lose, much less even flirt with the idea of being eliminated. The Lakers are well aware of the challenge at hand as they begin their series against OKC. They understand that a […]