Thunder Gameday: Third Consecutive Game in Los Angeles

After taking on the Clippers twice this week in Los Angeles, Oklahoma City will now play the Lakers tonight.

It’s the second night of a back-to-back, as the Oklahoma City Thunder will be hosted by the Los Angeles Lakers tonight. They split the two-game series against the Clippers leading up to this contest, meaning both the Lakers and Thunder now have the same record.

With how tight the standings are, this game is incredibly important. The loser will potentially fall out of the play-in picture, while the winner will look to continue climbing the standings.

With a ton on the line, it will be interesting to see how the young Thunder roster responds. 

ODDS:

The Thunder enter the day as 6-point underdogs to the Lakers, and the total over/under is 230.5 points.

KEYS TO THE GAME:

With LeBron James still out, this Lakers team leans heavily on Anthony Davis. Unfortunately for the Thunder, they don't have a dominant frontcourt defender to slow him down. As such, it could be a game in which OKC needs to outscore the Lakers. 

With that in mind, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can score at a high level, and will need a huge showing tonight. After sitting the entire fourth quarter against the Clippers last night, it appears there's a good chance he'll play in this one despite his injury management plan and not playing in back-to-backs over the past few weeks.

Los Angeles will have home court advantage which is huge. The Thunder have struggled on the road this season, but at this point it's all about overcoming adversity. 

RECORDS:

Oklahoma City Thunder (36-37) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (36-37)

WHEN:

Friday, March 24, 2023 at 9:30 PM CT

LOCATION:

Crypto.com Arena - Los Angeles, CA

TV/RADIO:

Bally Sports Oklahoma, NBA League Pass, 98.1 FM The Sports Animal

FINAL WORD:

Following this contest, the Thunder will wrap up their road trip in Portland against the Trail Blazers on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Lakers stay home to host the Chicago Bulls.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like SI Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.