The Los Angeles Lakers return home to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday in a game that will have massive implications in the Emirates NBA Cup. Additionally, it’s a huge test for Anthony Davis, LeBron James and the rest of the team as the Thunder own the best record in the Western Conference.
The Lakers are currently tied atop West Group B with the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs with a 2-1 record while the Thunder are 1-1. If the Lakers have any hope advancing beyond the group stage they must defeat the Thunder and ideally it would be by a decent amount as their point differential is low thanks to that Suns loss.
If the Lakers win though, they can advance to the knockout stage by winning their group regardless of their point differential if the San Antonio Spurs beat the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
Last season, the Lakers were very successful against the Thunder as Davis feasted on their lack of interior presence and dominated the paint on both ends of the court. But Oklahoma City addressed that issue with the addition of Isaiah Hartenstein, who has been everything they could have asked for since debuting just a couple games ago after dealing with a hand injury that kept him out to start the season.
Additionally, the Lakers also have to deal with MVP candidate Shai Gilgious-Alexander, who is fourth in the NBA in scoring and excels at getting in the paint. He has also worked on expanding his game out to the 3-point line more this year. Austin Reaves should get the initial duty of trying to contain him, but expect plenty of Max Christie and Cam Reddish as well as the Lakers must throw many different looks to keep him in check. Jalen Williams is also enjoying a borderline All-Star season and can impact the game on both ends of the court.
Offensively, the Lakers starting lineup has been boosted by the addition of rookie Dalton Knecht as he provides a spacing element that is much needed, opening up the paint for Davis, Reaves and LeBron James to attack. But the Lakers must be locked in and execute well as the Thunder have the best defensive rating in the league while also leading the league in points off turnovers. The Lakers have been good at taking care of the ball, but LeBron has had his issues so he must be extra careful as the Thunder will make them pay.
The Thunder have struggled rebounding the ball this year, but much of that likely has to do with Hartenstein being out. However, they don’t have much size behind him with Chet Holmgren out so if Davis can get him in foul trouble early, the Lakers could find themselves with a major advantage inside.
The Thunder are a very deep, talented and scrappy team so the Lakers won’t have much room for error. Getting a big performance from the bench would be huge as well with the Thunder missing Lakers fan favorite Alex Caruso, but Cason Wallace is a game-changer as a reserve.
Ultimately, this contest should test the Lakers’ ability to execute at the highest level. Do that and they can take down the Thunder and keep their hopes of defending their Emirates NBA Cup title alive.
Los Angeles Lakers (11-7) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (14-4)
7:00 p.m. PT, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
TV: Spectrum SportsNet
Radio: 710 AM ESPN LA
Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:
PG: Austin Reaves
SG: Dalton Knecht
SF: LeBron James
PF: Rui Hachimura
C: Anthony Davis
Key Reserves: D’Angelo Russell, Cam Reddish, Gabe Vincent, Max Christie, Christian Koloko
Projected Thunder Starting Lineup:
PG: Shai Gilgious-Alexander
SG: Cason Wallace
SF: Jalen Williams
PF: Lu Dort
C: Isaiah Hartenstein
Key Reserves: Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, Kenrich Williams, Ajay Mitchell
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