Lakers Head To Oklahoma City
Los Angeles will likely travel to Oklahoma City on Monday, with their series starting on Tuesday night. OKC was the best team in the NBA all season long and wasted little time with Phoenix. The Thunder were the only team to sweep their first round, winning the four games by an average margin of 17.3 points. They scored 119 points across all four games and won three by at least 12 points.
OKC was the top offensive team in the league and the fourth-best shooting squad. The Thunder also ranked fifth in rebounding and eighth in defensive rating. Additionally, the Thunder are the league’s deepest team.
OKC has dominated Los Angeles the past two years. The Thunder have won six of the last seven matchups against the Lakers, including five straight. The Thunder have won the four previous matchups this season, averaging 29 points per game and shooting 50% from the field. Seven Thunder players averaged double-figures this season against the Lakers, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who contributed 27.7 points on 55.5% shooting and 8.0 assists in just 29 minutes a game.
When Could Luka Doncic Return?
The Thunder could also get Jalen Williams back. Williams missed the Thunder’s final two games against the Suns due to a left hamstring strain. Tuesday will mark two weeks since Williams went down with the injury. So, expect Williams to be listed as questionable for Game 1 unless he experiences a setback between now and Monday night. If Williams does return in Game 1, expect him to be on a minutes restriction.
Meanwhile, the news is as promising for Doncic and the Lakers. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on SportsCenter this morning, Doncic is not close to returning. Doncic is reportedly not even running, despite already missing a month of action, as he suffered the injury on April 2.
“I have no idea how Luka’s going to be 14 days from now,” Windhorst said. “Most likely, you’re not going to see Luka Doncic at the front end of this series, maybe at least for another week to 10 days on the minimum.”
After Tuesday, the Lakers and Thunder will play every other day. So, given what is known and what Windhorst said, Doncic almost assuredly will miss the first four games. Therefore, the earliest Doncic is likely to return to the court is Game 5 on May 13. The team will have a brief break between Game 5 and Game 6, as that contest is scheduled for May 16. If the series goes the distance, the final game is slated for May 18.
