The Los Angeles Lakers are back in the win column after a beatdown in the City of Brotherly Love. The Oklahoma City Thunder, meanwhile, are suddenly on a two-game slide. Read on for more about this showdown below.
Catch this game live on Friday, December 1, 2023 at 9 AM, Manila time
Away: Los Angeles Lakers (11-8/4-6 Away)
Projected Starting Five:
- D’Angelo Russell
- Max Christie
- Taurean Prince
- LeBron James
- Anthony Davis
There was no way the Lakers would let themselves lose to a seemingly historic bad Detroit Pistons team just after they got blown out in a 44-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. D’Angelo Russell and the Lakers made sure of that by destroying Detroit on the road Thursday, 133-107. Russell made his fantasy owners shed tears of joy by going off for 35 points with nine rebounds, a steal, two blocks, and five 3-pointers while going 13/17 from the field.
He might not be able to reach such numbers for the second day in a row, but his hands may still be smoking when he takes the floor in Oklahoma City, where the Lakers have gone 5-1 straight up and 4-2 against the spread in their last six visits. Meanwhile, it could be Anthony Davis’ turn to give Chet Holmgren a reality check after the OKC big man struggled against Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert. The Lakers also appear to be catching OKC at just the right time, as the Thunder have lost their last two games.
Home: Oklahoma City Thunder (11-6/5-4 Home)
Projected Starting Five:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Josh Giddey
- Luguentz Dort
- Jalen Williams
- Chet Holmgren
Despite losing their last two games — first to the Philadelphia 76ers (127-123) last Sunday and to the T’wolves (106-103) last Wednesday — the Thunder are undeniably an above-average team. Oklahoma City is both inside the top 10 in the league so far this season in adjusted offensive rating (118.3) and adjusted defensive rating (112.1). It looks bad on paper that they dropped both their last two assignments, but they were competitive in those matchups, losing only by a combined margin of seven points.
The Thunder lost the Timberwolves on the road by just three points even though Holmgren shot 6/20 from the field and Jalen Williams went 2/10. It’s just a minor hitch for Josh Giddey and the Thunder, who are sixth in the NBA with 118.6 points per game and sporting a formidable 12-5 record against the spread this season. The Thunder can also pounce on a Lakers team that might come into the game with a false sense that everything is okay again in La La Land after beating a pumpkin team in Detroit.
PREDICTIONS:
Spread: The Thunder (-6.5) cover the spread.
Over/Under: The total (230.5) hits the Under.
