Oklahoma City put its collective big toe squarely on the backside of the Lakers with a pair of blowout victories five days apart last month.
With those wins coming by a combined 75 points, the Thunder and Lakers appear to have become one of the most one-sided mismatches in the NBA.
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LOOK AHEAD
In celebrating the career of Kobe Bryant, the Lakers are sacrificing plenty. For the rest of this season, LA will attempt to balance the development of its younger players while also honoring the future Hall of Famer, who is retiring after his 20th NBA campaign. And any plans to more frequently feature their younger core are on hold until he’s gone. At various points during a season that still hasn’t reached the halfway point, the minutes and even the roles of lottery picks D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. have fluctuated dramatically. Russell and Randle started the teams first 20 games before being moved to the bench. Nance is starting in place of Randle. Clarkson is perhaps the steadiest of the group, even if the lineup around him has shifted nightly. The Lakers are hopeful their youngsters can make progress and according to GM Mitch Kupchak there is a silver lining. His players can make mistakes on the court and they kind of go under the radar with so much attention paid to Kobe. There have been plenty of mistakes and the Lakers haven’t been able to cover up the second-worst record in the Western Conference.
INJURIES
Thunder forward Kevin Durant could miss several games with a sprained big toe. He suffered the injury Saturday against Charlotte and missed Monday’s game while being listed as questionable ahead of the remaining games this week. Anthony Morrow started in Durant’s place in a loss to Sacramento on Monday.
Bryant is dealing with a sore shoulder and will have difficulty playing on back-to-back nights. The Lakers were in Sacramento Thursday, where the Kings honored Bryant’s career. D’Angelo Russell missed Tuesday’s Golden State game with flu-like symptoms. He’s listed as day-to-day because of the illness.
KEY MATCHUP
Oklahoma City’s reliance on the duo of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant reared its head once again on Monday when the Sacramento Kings pulled off an upset of the Durant-less Thunder. KD’s injury isn’t considered serious, but the big toe is attached to the rebuilt foot that cost the former MVP most of last season. Before this recent concern, OKC was looking for someone to backup Westbrook at the point with D.J. Augustin struggling. Coach Billy Donovan may have found the answer at the end of his bench. After Christmas, Donovan made a change, inserting rookie Cameron Payne into the rotation, and the dynamic began to change. He’s shown he can play by going for 16 points in 16 minutes in his second game as the team’s backup point guard. He has great court vision, can shoot the basketball and has developed a chemistry and connection with his teammates on the second unit. Payne is figuring when to shoot and when to pass, two obstacles that kept him anchored at the end of the bench for most of the season. His talent was never an issue, rather it was his decision-making. He’s leading a second unit that could dominate against an undermanned Lakers group.
ODDS AND PREDICTION
The Lakers got a reality check Tuesday when they were hammered – again – by the Warriors. LA entered that contest with its first three-game winning streak in a year, and wouldn’t have come close to the defending champs even if Russell and Bryant were playing. Their series with OKC has been even more of a mismatch. The Thunder won the first meeting 118-78 in OKC on Dec. 19, and just to prove that wasn’t a fluke, they manhandled the Lakers again five days later, taking a 120-85 decision at Staples Center. LA failed to hold up its end of the deal offensively and both games finished below the total. In fact the Lakers have been a good bet on the under at home, playing below the total in 10 of their 14 games at Staples Center. Even if Durant doesn’t play, it will be impossible for the Lakers to make up that kind of point differential. Look for another easy Thunder victory.
Oklahoma City 110, Los Angeles 95
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Click here and start wagering today! The game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers is slated for Friday, January 8, 2016, at 10:30 p.m. ET at Staples Center. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
