NBA Basketball Matchup: Lakers vs Thunder
The Lakers had been lacking a signature win in the first half of the year until last night.
NBA Basketball Matchup: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
9:30 PM EST on TNT
NBA Gambling Odds from Bookmaker
NBA Betting Favorite: Thunder -6.5
Over/Under: 192.5
Los Angeles closed out an impressive 94-89 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas last night. Oklahoma City has the best record in the NBA.
The Thunder are 13-1 at home this year. Can Los Angeles keep the momentum going or will the Thunder stop them in their tracks?
Kobe Bryant has had a great season, but he didn’t have a very good game last night. It was actually Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol that carried the Lakers to their big win in Dallas last night. Gasol had 24 points and nine rebounds. Bynum racked up 19 points and 14 rebounds.
On the season, Gasol has been a big disappointment. Gasol’s numbers are down from the last couple years despite Lamar Odom being dealt away. Bynum is having statistically the best season of his career, and the Lakers really need him to stay healthy. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Bryant is averaging 29 points per game, which is his highest since the 2006-2007 season. The Lakers are the best offensive rebounding team in the NBA.
Oklahoma City has improved every year since Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook came to the city.
Durant leads the team with 27.7 points per game, but Westbrook isn’t far behind at 23.6. Durant is shooting 51% from the floor, which is several points higher than he has ever shot in his career.
Westbrook is having a career year in every sense. He is a guard who can get to the rim just about as well as anyone in the league.
He sometimes gets lost because of the guys he plays with, but James Harden is a terrific player who means a ton to this team. Harden averaged 16.8 points per game, and he does everything well on the offensive end. Serge Ibaka is the team’s shot blocker in the post.
The Thunder are a well-rounded team that appear ready to make a deep run in the playoffs.
Both teams are 4-7 ATS this year without a day of rest. In this one, I expect the Thunder to pull away from a weary Lakers team that is coming off a massive win that took a lot out of them.
Prediction: Oklahoma City 102 Los Angeles 91
