Debate
The Thunder Sweep Exposed How Hard the Lakers Had to Work on Offense
The Thunder sweep exposed the Lakers' bigger offensive problem: one close Game 4 finish did not prove Los Angeles had enough clean playoff answers.
Series
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Latest Sporzzio coverage and playoff reads for Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder.
Team Pulse
Watch Where The Lakers Are Fouling, Not Just The Whistle
Los Angeles can hate the Game 2 whistle and still face the real Game 3 test: whether Oklahoma City keeps turning the Lakers’ defense sideways until Reaves, Smart, and Hayes are too foul-loaded to play freely.
Team Pulse
The Lakers' Game 2 Test Is Surviving Thunder Runs Without LeBron Rescues
After Oklahoma City's 108-90 Game 1 win, Lakers fans should track whether Los Angeles can steady Thunder runs without emergency timeouts, find non-LeBron creation, and keep Chet Holmgren from owning the possession battle.
Team Pulse
No Luka, No Reaves, No Easy First Pass
With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined, Lakers fans should track whether Los Angeles can still build organized possessions against a 64-win Thunder team built to punish shaky creation.
Team Pulse
With Doncic Out and Reaves Back, the Lakers’ OKC Problem Starts at the First Paint Touch
The Lakers routed Houston to advance, but the Thunder series starts with a sharper watch item: where Los Angeles creates its first advantage with Luka Doncic still out and Austin Reaves newly back in the lineup.