Lakers Respect The Thunder But Insist They Aren't Intimidated By Them

The Lakers understand nan daunting situation they’re astir to look against nan defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder successful nan Western Conference semifinals.

Lakers coach JJ Redick referenced nan awesome Chicago Bulls teams that won back-to-back championships successful 1996 and ’97 and nan Golden State Warriors teams that won titles successful 2015 and ’17 erstwhile talking astir nan Thunder aft believe Sunday.

“The Thunder is 1 of nan top teams ever successful NBA history,” Redick said. “It’s conscionable nan reality. They’re that good. I deliberation our guys admit that and respect that, and we cognize what benignant of task we person successful beforehand of us.”

The Thunder had nan champion grounds successful nan regular play astatine 64-18. They were classed first successful protect field-goal percent (43.7%), first successful protect standing (106.5), first successful nett standing (43.7) and 2nd successful points fixed up per crippled (107).

They person nan league’s reigning astir valuable subordinate successful Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is nan starring campaigner to repetition arsenic MVP. He was 2nd successful scoring this play (31.1 points per game) and leads nan postseason successful scoring (33.8).

The Thunder conscionable swept nan Phoenix Suns successful their first-round series. The Lakers eliminated nan Houston Rockets successful six games.

This play nan Thunder hit nan Lakers by an mean of 29.2 points per crippled successful sweeping nan four-game set. So nan Lakers are facing agelong likelihood to triumph this series, but they opportunity they aren’t intimidated heading into Game 1 connected Tuesday night.

“You tin respect nan squad but you can’t fearfulness them,” guardant Jake LaRavia said. “You can’t travel into nan crippled fearing nan force and past you’re conscionable gonna travel successful and get punked. So, we respect really bully this squad is, but our extremity is to triumph — triumph nan games and triumph nan series. So, our mindset stays nan same.”

The Thunder person a estimation arsenic a stingy protect squad — they were called for nan seventh-fewest fouls per crippled (19) this season.

“They’re apical 5 successful each class that’s disruptive-base: steals, blocks, turnovers forced, each that stuff. And they don’t foul,” Redick said. “They someway do each of that without fouling, which is 1 of nan astir singular things, I think, successful NBA history.”

Gilgeous-Alexander is celebrated for drafting fouls. He took 9 free throws per crippled this season, third-most successful nan league.

“Nobody’s been capable to extremity him each season,” Redick said. “So, you tin dream and pray.”

Oklahoma City prima Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drives against nan Lakers during a Thunder triumph connected April 2.

(Cooper Neill / Getty Images)

The Lakers had their ain limb astatine nan free-throw line, but it’s unclear erstwhile Luka Doncic mightiness return from injury. The All-Star constituent defender hasn’t played since sustaining a Grade 2 near hamstring strain against nan Thunder connected April 2.

Doncic was coming disconnected a magical month, becoming nan only subordinate successful history different than Michael Jordan to people 600 points successful March.

Redick had nary update connected Doncic’s position — he remains retired indefinitely.

But nan Lakers sewage by nan Rockets pinch LeBron James starring nan way. He averaged 23.2 points, 8.3 assists and 7.2 rebounds successful nan six games. And prima defender Austin Reaves, who besides was injured successful nan April 2 crippled against nan Thunder, returned to thief hit nan Rockets.

Still, fewer deliberation nan Lakers, who precocious past nan first information for nan first clip since 2023, tin get by nan heavy and talented Thunder.

“You could opportunity cipher thought we were going to get past Houston, but everybody successful this building believed,” Reaves said. “It’s nan aforesaid mindset going into this. We evidently cognize nan squad that we’re astir to look and really bully they are and nan problems that they tin create for 48 minutes. So, we’ll person to fastener successful each azygous day, film, immoderate it could be, to proceed to get amended and and salary attraction to each nan small specifications for illustration they do.”