The Los Angeles Lakers are facing a steep climb if they want to progress from their second round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Losing the first two games against the top-seeded Thunder has left JJ Redick’s Lakers in need of home rejuvenation to drag the series.
A 3-0 deficit will mean that the Lakers will have to do what no franchise has ever done in the playoffs: come back from 3-0 and win a series.
Redick’s squad held their own in the first round but they seem to have been exposed by the defending champions’ depth and relentless execution in these first two games and it forces an eye-opener.
The Los Angeles Lakers Biggest Problem
While containing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been a focus and should be the focus ordinarily, the real issue is that the Lakers are getting outplayed in the minutes when last season’s MVP sits.
GettyOklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James
According to The California Post’s Khobi Price, not having Gilgeous-Alexander on the floor didn’t amount to any advantage for L.A. The Lakers “biggest problem” is something else.
‘The Lakers haven’t had a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander problem,” Price wrote. “They’ve had a non-Shai Gilgeous-Alexander problem. Which is much worse, and one of the biggest reasons they’re trailing the Thunder, 0-2, in their best-of-seven second-round playoff series, which shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Monday after the Lakers’ Game 2 loss Thursday.”
They were even better without their best player in Game 2’s 125-107 victory, outscoring the Lakers by 13 points in the 20 minutes Gilgeous-Alexander was on the bench, giving the Thunder a combined 22-point advantage across 33 minutes in the first two games of the series when Gilgeous-Alexander wasn’t on the floor.
This non-SGA dominance can be attributed to how well-drilled Mark Daigneault’s team is. Even with Gilgeous-Alexander limited to 18 points in Game 1 and 22 in Game 2, the Thunder won.
The likes of Chet Holmgren and Ajay Mitchell have stepped in for scoring bits. Holmgren is on a 20+ points per game streak from the first two games.
Redick has noted this problem and openly acknowledged it. He referenced the disadvantage in non-SGA minutes from Game 1 and noted how the second half of Game 2 saw his team “blitzed” when Gilgeous-Alexander sat with his fourth foul.
L.A. Must Change Things Or Face Elimination
This OKC series was bound to be tougher for the Lakers than the Houston Rockets. It is not rocket science to have them pegged as the underdogs in terms of player availability and all-around play.
LeBron James’ playoff experience was crucial in round one but there is so much that can go against this Thunder team, which finished with the best record in the league.
Unlike Houston, which didn’t figure out how to win without Kevin Durant, the Thunder are certainly not like that. They have shown that Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t have to get a hot scoring night for them to win.
Redick and his coaching staff have to introduce some adjustments as the series heads back to L.A. for Games 3 and 4. They will still have to re-strategize without their leading scorer Luka Doncic.
The Slovenian’s scoring edge could have been a turning point in this series, however, he is still recovering from a Grade 2 hamstring injury he suffered against the Thunder in early April.
Game 3 tips off Saturday night in Los Angeles, offering the Lakers their first real chance at a response in the series.
Lakers Hit With ‘Biggest Problem’ Before Game 3 vs. Thunder