Lakers Highlights: Another Starting Lineup Change Powers LA To Upset Vs Thunder
A 112-105 victory over the West' second-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder was a great way to cap off the three-day holiday weekend, as LA showed out on the defensive side of the ball en route to an upset win over the league's best young team.
Despite some starting lineup modifications yet again, led by a 27-point, 15-rebound effort from Anthony Davis, LA stalled one of the league's best offenses, especially around the basket, forcing them to shoot just 41.7% as a team.
LA, on the other hand, shot 52% from the field, as while they struggled from behind the arc (8-of-24, 33%), they consistently got to their spots inside the arc, producing at a high level in critical situations throughout the game.
The Lakers are now 2-1 against the Thunder this season, recording two wins in their past two matchups. OKC has otherwise been dominant, as they're 27-10 excluding those two losses, suggesting that LA is a poor matchup for OKC in particular, which can likely be attributed to LA's size, switchability, and interior defense.
OKC is a great three-point shooting team, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, their best player and leading scorer, relies heavily on inside scoring, making Anthony Davis' presence around the basket a major challenge for him to work around.
Compounding that with the physicality that LeBron James brings to the table and the size he has over players like Luguentz Dort, who was tasked with guarding him, and it's easy to realize why LA poses a uniquely difficult matchup for the surging young squad.
With the possibility LA finishes around the seventh or eighth seed, OKC is a highly plausible first-round matchup. The Lakers currently lead their season series with the Thunder 2-1. Come playoff time, this matchup could be less of an issue than it seems on paper, especially given how the Lakers stack up in the frontcourt.
Here are a look at some of LA's best plays on the day:
