(Photograph credit score: John Hefti-Imagn Photographs)
The Western Convention-leading Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder will string collectively three straight wins and an ideal street journey to this point after they head to Los Angeles on Friday for an NBA Cup group sport towards the Lakers.
The Thunder are 1-1 within the West: Group B, with a path to advance with wins towards the Lakers and Utah Jazz at residence on Tuesday. Oklahoma Metropolis may nonetheless want some deciding storylines to advance to the Spherical of 16.
The Lakers’ path to advancing within the event for a second straight season is slim. The best method to advance is to defeat the Thunder and have the Phoenix Suns lose to the San Antonio Spurs, additionally on Tuesday.
Since shedding an NBA Cup sport to the Spurs final week, the Thunder haven’t misplaced, with the latest of their three straight victories coming Wednesday on the street after they beat the Golden State Warriors 105 -101.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 factors, though Jalen Williams left simply earlier than halftime as a consequence of an eye fixed damage that occurred whereas defending a dunk try and didn’t return. He was not listed on the damage report for Friday’s sport. Oklahoma Metropolis was additionally with out Chet Holmgren (hip) and former Laker Alex Caruso (hip).
Holmgren is out till the brand new 12 months, whereas Caruso has missed the final two video games and won’t play Friday.
Isaiah Hartenstein scored 14 factors with 14 rebounds for Oklahoma Metropolis, whereas doing his greatest to make up for Williams’ absence. Oklahoma Metropolis wanted 12 factors from Gilgeous-Alexander within the fourth quarter and gained even after capturing simply 31.6 % within the remaining interval.
“It shouldn’t change the way in which we play,” Hartenstein mentioned of Williams’ departure. “I feel we did not execute the way in which we must always have. We should not have discovered ourselves in such a (shut) state of affairs.”
The Lakers ended a three-game shedding streak with a 119-101 street win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. Rookie Dalton Knecht scored a team-best 20 factors after making 4 of his 10 3-point makes an attempt.
Anthony Davis had 19 factors with 14 rebounds whereas his compatriot LeBron James had a triple-double with 16 factors, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. It was James’ sixth triple-double of the season at age 39.
“I am very pleased with our group,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick mentioned of ending the season’s longest shedding streak. “The response was nice. That is actually what I talked about with them earlier than the sport. We have to let go of the current previous and transfer on.”
A month shy of his fortieth birthday, James has averaged 22.9 factors, 9.3 assists and eight.2 rebounds with out lacking a single sport this season. Knecht continued to make an impression in his first season averaging 11.7 factors and three video games of at the least 20 factors this season.
In two NBA event seasons, the Lakers have solely misplaced as soon as and that occurred Tuesday in a 127-100 street loss to the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers are the defending event champions.
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