Lakers vs. Thunder Preview
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (AP) – The All-Star break seems to have re-energized the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Maybe some new players can do the same for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The two division leaders face off for the second time Sunday, and the Thunder should have Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson available for the first time as they try to avoid losing a season-high third straight.
In possibly the most notable deal during the week of the trade deadline other than Carmelo Anthony going to New York, Oklahoma City (36-21) got Perkins and Robinson from Boston for Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic and a first-round pick.
Current college basketball odds and oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGLOBAL.com have made the Thunder -1 point spread favorites for Sunday’s game against the Lakers. Current college basketball public betting information shows that 82% of more than 137 bets for this game have been placed on the Lakers +1.
The addition of Perkins, known as one of the league’s top defensive big men, has Los Angeles especially on alert. The Lakers trailed 3-2 in last year’s NBA finals before Perkins hurt his knee in Game 6, and the Celtics lost the series in seven.
“You know how I feel about Perk, how much respect I have for him defensively on the floor and how he plays,” Kobe Bryant said of Perkins, whose knee injury caused him to miss all but 12 games this season.
Oklahoma City making that move was a bit of a surprise considering Green was a major contributor for a team which has the fourth-best record in the Western Conference, one spot behind Los Angeles (41-19). The Lakers didn’t make any trades even though there were concerns for the two-time defending NBA champions before the break after they dropped three in a row.
However, Los Angeles has come out strong, winning three straight – two by double digits – and reaching at least 104 points in each while shooting 49.6 percent. During the three-game skid, they averaged 87.7 points and shot 41.8 percent.
“We’re executing our game plan, moving the ball, doing the things that we do to win,” Shannon Brown said after a 108-95 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. “It’s not about the individuals, it’s about the whole team and everyone’s been on the same page for the most part.”
Bryant scored 18 of his 24 points in the decisive third quarter despite banging his funny bone in the second. Though he couldn’t fully extend his elbow after the game, Bryant said he didn’t expect it to be a problem Sunday.
Pau Gasol scored 22 points on Friday and had 21 in the only meeting this season with Oklahoma City – as did Bryant – but he didn’t have to deal with Perkins and the Lakers won 101-94 on Jan. 17. The teams also met in a first-round playoff series last season, with Los Angeles emerging in six games.
“We expect another dog fight,” Brown said of Sunday’s game. “They’re a good, young, up and coming team that likes to run, get out and have fun.”
The Thunder are looking to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season. After defeating the Clippers coming out of the break, they have lost to San Antonio and Orlando.
Oklahoma City shot 33.3 percent in a 111-88 loss to the Magic on Friday. Kevin Durant had 23 points and 16 rebounds but shot 7 of 22.
Durant hopes the additions of Perkins and center Nazr Mohammed, also acquired in a trade earlier this week, will help them inside after Oklahoma City gave up 54 points in the paint to Orlando and was outrebounded 53-46. The Thunder have given up an average of 110.0 points the last two games.
“Hopefully Nazr and Perk will help us with that,” said Durant, shooting 36.3 percent the last four games.
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