Oklahoma City Thunder

Game #38 Preview | Los Angeles Lakers

The Thunder GuysJanuary 3, 2018 No Comments

Tip-Off: 9:30 PM CT

Location: Staples Center (Los Angeles, CA)

Television: ESPN, FSOK

Radio: WWLS 98.1FM OKC The Sports Animal

Twitter: Follow @TheThunderGuys for live-tweets during the game

The Oklahoma City Thunder are coming off of a strong December where they racked up a 12-5 record, which ranked third in the NBA. The Thunder lost their last two games of 2017, but even then, they seem to have turned a corner and are looking forward to a potentially successful January.

The Los Angeles Lakers, however, have been quite the opposite lately. In December, the Lakers went 3-11, which was second-worst in the league. The Lakers also hold the league’s second-worst home record, while the Thunder has steadily improved their road record. The injury-riddled Lakers should not be much of a challenge for the rapidly-improved Thunder, but Oklahoma City cannot afford to overlook any team right now.

Projected Starters

Thunder

  • PG: Russell Westbrook
  • SG: Josh Huestis
  • SF: Paul George
  • PF: Carmelo Anthony
  • C: Steven Adams

Lakers

  • PG: Tyler Ennis
  • SG: Josh Hart
  • SF: Kyle Kuzma
  • PF: Brandon Ingram
  • C: Julius Randle

Injuries

Thunder

  • Andre Roberson (left patellar tendonitis) is OUT.

Lakers

  • Lonzo Ball (left shoulder sprain) is OUT.
  • Kyle Kuzma (left quad contusion) is active.
  • Brook Lopez (right ankle sprain) is active.

Head-to-Head

  • Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder is 19-12 against the Lakers (11-4 at home, 8-8 on the road).
  • Since arriving in Oklahoma City in 2008, the Thunder has won the season series against the Lakers six times and lost three times.
  • The Thunder won two of the three games against Lakers in last season’s series.
  • The Thunder has won 10 of the last 11 matchups with the Lakers.
  • Andre Roberson scored a career-high 19 points last season against the Lakers on February 24, 2017, in Oklahoma City.

Game Notes

  • Oklahoma City has lost two in a row, while Los Angeles has lost seven in a row.
  • Oklahoma City is 7-3 in the last 10 games, while Los Angeles is 1-9.
  • Oklahoma City is 6-11 on the road, while Los Angeles is 6-12 at home.
  • Oklahoma City is 11-10 against the Western Conference, while Los Angeles is 5-18.
  • Oklahoma City is 3-2 in games where there are two days of rest, while Los Angeles is 6-13 in games where there is one day of rest.

Be sure to check out our latest episode of Thunder Things with the Thunder Guys.

Article written by Zack Low. Follow @TheThunderGuys on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

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