With the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 108-90 Game 1 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday night at Paycom Center, OKC moved to 5-0 on the year against the Lakers. While the 18-point margin didn’t match the 29.3-point average margin of victory, the Thunder still covered the 15.5-point spread. 

Before the series shifts to LA for Games 3 and 4, the Lakers and Thunder meet again in OKC on Thursday night, with tip-off set for 9:30 p.m. ET. The spread remains the exact same, while the point total has been reduced by three points. Will Game 2 be a re-run of Game 1, or can the Lakers flip the script?

OKC is a massive 15.5-point favourite to win on the NBA odds, with the total set at 209.5.

Lakers vs. Thunder NBA Betting Odds

The Thunder have now won five consecutive meaningful home games by 13+, including all three home playoff games. Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals also marks four straight playoff games in which the Lakers have failed to reach 100 points scored. Granted, the Rockets and Thunder are two of the very best defensive teams in basketball.

Los Angeles Lakers

At 41-year-old, LeBron James continues to tap the fountain of youth, leading all scorers in Game 1 with 27 points, almost scoring a third of the Lakers’ 90 points, on 12-of-17 shooting, including three made triples. Considering Rui Hachimura added 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting, it’s pretty concerning that the Lakers still lost by 18.

Notably, Austin Reaves was stymied. Reaves finished 3-of-16 from the floor and 0-of-5 from three, while committing four turnovers. The Thunder were extremely physical with Reaves, throwing different and sometimes multiple bodies on him, making him uncomfortable all night. 

The Lakers got just 15 points from the bench. Their defensive strategy, throwing multiple bodies  on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at all times, worked wonders. The Lakers forced 16 turnovers and got 30 three-pointers off, but outside James and Hachimura, they just didn’t have enough against the extremely deep Thunder. 

Jarred Vanderbilt also left the game with a dislocated right pinky finger.

Oklahoma City Thunder

SGA struggled with the Lakers’ defence. The reigning MVP scored 18 points on 8-of-15 shooting. I couldn’t tell you the last time SGA didn’t lead the Thunder in shot attempts in a meaningful game, but the ball was taken out of his hands here. He committed seven turnovers, and it was the first time since May 24 last year, in the conference finals against the Timberwolves, that SGA failed to score 20 points in a game. 

Chet Holmgren stepped up in his stead, scoring 24 points, collecting 12 rebounds and rejecting three shots. The lefty Ajay Mitchell, who has been awesome in place of Jalen Williams, added 18 points. Jared McCain was huge in crunch time, smacking three fourth-quarter triples en route to 12 points, which was the biggest piece of the Thunder’s 34 bench points.  

It’s not like the Thunder blew the Lakers out in any one statistical category, so it really speaks to their versatility, depth and the number of ways they can still win by 18 while not playing at their best.

NBA Prediction: Who Will Win Lakers vs. Thunder Game 2?

The oddsmakers were all over Game 1 on the spread, and I have no reason to suspect anything different in Game 2. Give me the Thunder and the points at home. The Lakers played about as good a defence as they could in Game 1, so that should tell you everything you need to know moving forward. 

Best Bet: Thunder -15.5 (-110)

LAKERS

Away

100

THUNDER

Home

118

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