The Los Angeles Lakers were knocked out of the Western Conference following their four straight defeats against the Oklahoma Thunder. The Lakers failed to secure a single win against the Thunder. The Oklahoma Thunder secured a spot in the Western Conference final.
Lakers Knocked Out
The Lakers’ show ended with a disappointing crash-out run. LeBron’s side failed to get a single win, despite him being the most consistently performing player. Overall, a 54-point contribution in the third and fourth games was good. But it fell short as they lost the third game by 23 points and the fourth one by five points. Rui Hachimura added 52 points in two games. But the absence of Luka Doncic was not filled. Somewhere, the absence of Luka proved costly for Los Angeles. Meanwhile, weak defence was another factor that showcased the Lakers’ performance was much worse than it actually was. LeBron was one of the players who contributed every time he stepped on the field, but his efforts were not enough.
Team Work Worked
If we talk about Oklahoma, they were good in defence and restricted the Lakers. But overall, the defence was not good enough. They had a few moments when the Lakers won quarters by a difference of seven to eight points. For the moment, it was good for them, but in the end, things will be much tougher. Shai Gilgeous and AJay Mitchell performed consistently, but the other players were below average. Meanwhile, the defence line was not too good for a possible title call. In case they want to challenge for the title, they need to improve it.
Final Call
The stage will be set in the next few days. This Saturday, the San Antonio Spurs will face the Minnesota Timberwolves. This is a must-win game for the Timberwolves; however, they have already lost three games against the Spurs. If they lose again, the Spurs will be in the Western Conference final, where things will get tough for the Thunder. They have grabbed just one win against the Spurs in the past five fixtures. While against the Timberwolves, the record was equal with two wins and two defeats.
So, it will be a tough fixture for the Thunder. They need to improve their game if they want to be crowned Western Conference champions.
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