Playing against LA Lakers star LeBron James is a strong motivator for MVP frontrunner and OKC Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ahead of their second-round playoffs meeting.
In an interview with the media during the Thunder’s practice on Monday, Gilgeous-Alexander expressed that going up against an all-time great like LeBron James fuels his drive to be the best version of himself when OKC faces the Lakers in the first round.
“Playing against an all-time great like that, you get up for those games,” he said before continuing to praise James, who is 41 years old and is the oldest active player in the NBA, for his accolades and what he has done for the sport.
“We can sit here all day and talk about things he’s done for the game. Guys, one of the best players to ever pick up a basketball in the history of human beings,” he said. “It just speaks for itself…It should be a fun matchup. You really have to test yourself against the greatest. Obviously, he is a little bit out of his prime but still very, very capable.”
James has been carrying the Lakers throughout the playoffs so far, filling in the role of Luka Doncic, who has been the orchestrator of the Lakers’ offense throughout the season.
The series will be the first face-off between Gilgeous-Alexander and James throughout their careers. It is also the first Thunder-Lakers series since the 2012 Western Conference semifinals, when OKC was still led by Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and James Harden, while the Lakers had Kobe Bryant.
Without Doncic, James is expected to be on top of the Thunder’s defensive game plan as the team looks to replicate its dominance against the Lakers in the regular season.
In all four of their regular-season meetings, the Thunder won with an average winning margin of 29.3 points.
Lakers Look to Slow Down SGA’s Offensive Production
GettyOklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander should be a marked man for the Lakers.
The Lakers have a tall task in halting the offensive brilliance of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in their Round 1 matchup.
Gilgeous-Alexander has been putting up elite numbers for the Thunder in the postseason, averaging 33.8 points per game in the team’s Round 1 sweep of the Suns.
To potentially increase their chance of toppling the Thunder, the Lakers must contain Gilgeous-Alexander’s production throughout Round 2.
Unlike the Suns, the Lakers have commendable perimeter defenders to throw at SGA, including Rui Hachimura, Jared Vanderbilt, and Jake LaRavia. They could also scheme to let other Thunder players beat them with their scoring outside of SGA.
Thunder-Lakers Series Schedule
GettyLos Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Thunder and the Lakers will be opening their second-round series on Tuesday, May 5, in Oklahoma City.
Game 2 will remain in OKC before it moves to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4.
As the series extends, the plot thickens for both squads as they wait for the recovery of their stars, such as Thunder’s Jalen Williams and Lakers’ Luka Doncic, for a potential return.
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