Saturday’s NBA nightcap features the Lakers hosting the Thunder in Los Angeles while trying to avoid falling into a 3–0 series hole against the reigning champions.
It’s been tough sledding for the Lakers thus far this series, and it’s doubly troubling that those struggles has come despite reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being held largely in check on offense.
Los Angeles is up against the ropes, but they say a series doesn’t start until a team wins one on the road. Can the Lakers hold serve? As we did for Game 3 of the Cavs-Pistons series earlier this afternoon, we’ll be tracking all of the action as it happens.
How we got here...
Game 1: Thunder 108, Lakers 90
Game 2: Thunder 125, Lakers 107
The Thunder have simply not slown down since winning Game 7 of the NBA Finals last year. OKC was the best team in the league all season, and stand undefeated in the playoffs thus far. Of their six wins, just one has come by single digits.
In Game 1 of this series, the Thunder simply wore down the Lakers in a war of attrition, extending their lead inch by inch before taking an 18-point victory. Los Angeles showed some fight in Game 2, winning the second quarter of the game—the first quarter it had won all series—but Oklahoma City came out of halftime absolutely firing, shooting a blistering 56.3% from three in the second half to take a 2–0 series lead as the games head to California.
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