A Blog devoted to Lakers News, Commentary, and Analysis
After a pair of frustrating first round exits in recent years, the Lakers exorcised some demons in a cathartic win over the Rockets. Awaiting them now, though, is the best team in the NBA in the Thunder. To say the Lakers had limited success against OKC in the regular season would be an understatement. In […]
The Lakers and the Sonics/Thunder have plenty of history between them in the playoffs throughout the decades. LA has had memorable battles in both Seattle and Oklahoma City with title-winning teams picking up wins en route to the Finals. Let’s look back before moving forward and take a Dip in the Lake with the Sonics/Thunder […]
The second round series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder begins on Tuesday on the latter’s home court. Start time and TV schedule Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder When: 5:30 p.m. PT, May 5 Where: Paycom Center Watch: NBC, Peacock In the Lakers’ first round series against the Houston Rockets, pretty much […]
With the first round complete, these are going to be the matchups for the second round of the playoffs. Eastern Conference Semi- Finals (1) Detroit vs. (4) Cleveland (2) New York vs. (7) Philadelphia Western Conference Semi-Finals (1) Oklahoma City vs. (4) Los Angeles (2) San Antonio vs. (6) Minnesota My Predictions Eastern Conference Cleveland […]
As normal, it’s been a while since we’ve had a mailbag. And I won’t make any promises of it returning with any regularity, particularly with the chaotic schedule coming up for the Lakers this series, but let’s have some fun and ask some questions! We’re going to have a quick turnaround on this one with […]
The injuries to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves seemed like they’d end the Lakers’ season prematurely. Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard had other ideas. While LeBron James has temporarily returned as the head of the Lakers snake, he needed a few members of his supporting cast to step up in a big way. Smart and […]
I may not be very good at it, but I love chess. Not to the level that I love basketball, the NBA, or the Lakers, but it’s not too far off! The strategy, the tactical decisions, the way every player seems to have their own style and approach that forces you to play them as […]
In the Thunder’s last series, Suns guard Devin Booker had a bit of a crash out while airing his grievances over officiating and, specifically, with James Williams, who Lakers fans will be familiar with. There shouldn’t be any similar remarks from the Lakers this round, though, because, according to Lakers head coach JJ Redick, the […]
The Lakers aren’t alone in having been without a star player due to a hamstring strain in their upcoming playoff series. During the Thunder’s first round series with the Suns, Jalen Williams exited Game 2 with a hamstring strain, a sight purple and gold faithful are certainly familiar with. After the game, Williams was diagnosed […]
Averaging 20.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, Alpern Şengün was the most impactful player for the Rockets against the Lakers this postseason. So, slowing him down and disrupting what makes him effective became critical for the Lakers in Game 6. In previous contests, the Lakers tried to double Şengün, which led him to find […]
There are two ways a team can lose to end the season: graciously and how the Rockets went out. With the result sealed for pretty much the whole fourth quarter, Houston had plenty of time to make a few questionable decisions. And to be fair, it was less the Rockets as a whole and more […]
The Lakers may have just extended their season by at least four games by advancing to the second round, but it does not mean a return for Luka Dončić is imminent. In fact, it sounds like he’s pretty far away from getting back on the court. During Friday’s Prime broadcast of Game 6, sideline reporter […]
As the Lakers were beginning their beatdown of the Rockets in Game 6 on Friday, the Raptors were helping them in a very dramatic way. In the final seconds of overtime in Toronto, RJ Barrett channeled his inner Tyrese Haliburton and connected on a three to force a Game 7 against the Cavaliers. For a […]
In most circumstances, advancing out of the first round is hardly a celebratory situation, particularly for a Lakers franchise with banners aplenty hanging. It should be little more than the first of a string of checkpoints on the way to raising the Larry O’Brien trophy. But the win over the Rockets was not a normal […]
After a hard-fought series against the Rockets, the Lakers will move into the second round against an even more daunting opponent in the Thunder. The cream of the crop for the entire season, Oklahoma City’s sweep of the Suns in the first round means the Thunder have been patiently waiting for their next foe. It […]
After blowing the opportunity to end the series in Game 5, the Lakers, on one day’s rest, came out determined to end the young and hungry Houston’s season Friday night. With a Game 7 looming, a Lakers defensive masterclass combined with offensive ineptitude from Houston led to just 31 first-half points for the Rockets, giving […]
All season long, when faced with adversity, the Lakers have responded. When LeBron James missed the first 14 games due to sciatica, LA went 10-4 in his absence. After both Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves went down late in the season, the Lakers fought hard to keep the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference. […]
There will be no Game 7. After dropping consecutive closeout games that simultaneously put the series in jeopardy and gave the Rockets real momentum, the Lakers took care of business in Game 6, dominating the Rockets and leaving no doubt on who the better team was with a 98-78 victory. The Lakers have now punched […]
After taking care of the Rockets in six games, the Lakers will move to the second round for a matchup against the league’s best team in the Thunder. The series will start on Tuesday, May 5. The defending champions ran riot through everyone not named San Antonio this season, then made quick work of Phoenix […]
After a couple of losses, the Lakers finally finished off the Rockets, beating them 98-78 in Game 6 to advance to the second round. Los Angeles went on an impressive 13-1 run to start the second quarter, giving them control of the game and they never looked back. Now the Lakers will face the defending […]
You can’t fake desperate. The Rockets have had their season on the line in the last two games, and they’ve played like it. Houston dominated in a blowout win in Game 4 and then came to LA and won a close contest in Game 5. Now, entering Game 6, it’s the Lakers who have to […]
The series between the Lakers and Rockets heads back to Houston where Game 6 will be held on Friday. This will be L.A.’s third attempt to close the series. Start time and TV schedule Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets When: 6:30 p.m. PT, May 1 Where: Toyota Center Watch: Prime Video Over the last two games, […]
Stop if you’ve heard this before, but turnovers were an issue for the Lakers in their loss on Wednesday. While they weren’t quite at the level of their Game 4 disasterclass, the Lakers did turn the ball over 15 times in Game 5, resulting in 18 Rockets points. Most certainly, it was a team-wide issue, […]
The Lakers’ defense, or lack thereof, has been a topic of conversation all season long. The narrative of Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves as poor defenders portrays the team as incapable of stopping anyone from scoring. However, perception isn’t always reality. In the postseason, the purple and gold has been a respectable defensive team with […]
After missing the end of the regular season and the start of the postseason, Austin Reaves made his playoff debut for the Lakers in Game 5. He received a loud ovation from Lakers fans and played like he didn’t miss a beat. Reaves was back, knocking down shots, drawing fouls and injecting the team with […]