Lakers Rout Thunder, Show True Potential as Playoffs Loom

The NBA season is winding down and teams are starting to turn it on. The Western Conference playoff race is extremely tight. So much so that every game matters.

There’s no telling who’s going to fall to the play-in game and who’s going to get a week of rest, but all teams on the bubble are fighting as hard as they can. That includes the Lakers.

(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Los Angeles has undergone a huge resurgence since Luka Doncic came over from the Mavericks

They’ve played well, gotten hot at the right time, and seem to be operating much better as a team. Even so, they’re right in the thick of the playoff race.

The Lakers occupy the third seed in the west. That’s a great standing, but it’s only two games above the seventh seed. They need to win every game they can, even the tough ones. That’s exactly what they did against the Thunder on Sunday.

Up to the Challenge

The Lakers have had a lot of tough opponents late in the year, but going up against the best team in the west during such a close playoff race was not the best situation.

The Thunder are comfortably in the one seed, and continue to put up amazing results night after night

Looking at the discrepancy between both teams, it’s easy to see why the Thunder (64-13) were favored. Even so, the Lakers are a new squad since making their big move at the trade deadline. They’re also playing far above what their record suggests.

Rather than roll over, or drop a key game when the lights got bright, the Lakers came into Oklahoma firing. Behind a massive first half from Luka Doncic, the Lakers stormed out to an early ten point lead that they pushed to 22 at halftime.

The game wasn’t close from there. They just pressed their advantage, kept playing solid basketball, prevented the Thunder from getting back into the game, and cruised to the final buzzer.

It was a performance where everyone contributed in one way or another

Doncic and LeBron James both led the way with 30 points and 19 points respectively. Austin Reaves also scored 20, Dorian Finney-Smith put in 14, and Gabe Vincent ended up with 12.

That wide scoring spread shows the Lakers played true team basketball, which is what they need to do if they still want to still be vying for the trophy in the coming months.

A Truly Historic Night

The win is huge for Los Angeles. Not only does taking down such a strong, well-rounded team give them some confidence moving forward, it also shows the best way to come out on top.

The more role players who get involved, the more capable they are on all sides of the ball

Doncic and James will always get the fanfare and the headlines, but the Lakers have shown they are at their best when everyone steps up to produce. That’s what happened against the Thunder.

They didn’t just settle, their offense worked hard to get good shots

So many good shots that they entered history. The Lakers fired from deep early and often. They made 15 three pointers in the first half, and then ended the game with 22. That ties a franchise record for deep balls made in a game.

Though there is always some luck involved in making that many threes, most of the shots came as a result of strong passing and good movement. The Lakers need their top-end talent to win, but more and more it seems that talent also needs a strong bench behind them.

Ready for a Run

Another reason handedly beating the Thunder matters so much for Los Angeles is that it shows they are true contenders. Despite the standings, most teams are focused on both the Lakers and Warriors.

Each team has an incredible superstar duo, seasoned veterans leading the way, as well as a championship pedigree.

It’s easy to see that talk as just noise until it goes into action

Against the Thunder, the Lakers put it into action. They didn’t just win the game, they dismantled the top seed in the West.

Doncic is always capable of getting big nights, James is still one of the best forwards in the league, and Austin Reaves has truly developed into a solid number three. Rui Hachimura, Finney-Smith, and Dalton Knecht can all have big games too.

That combination gives the Lakers a chance each and every night, which is something all championship teams need. Los Angeles is far from just a two-man show, and they are far from their seeding.

Things may even out over a seven game series, but it’s hard to see how the Lakers lose early on

They have the firepower to get through the first round, and could beat anyone if James or Doncic catch fire. That happened once against the Thunder. It could easily happen again.