Los Angeles Lakers vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Match Preview and Predictions - 11th January 2020
Match Details
Fixture: Los Angeles Lakers vs Oklahoma City Thunder
Date & Time: Saturday, 11 January 2020 (8:00 PM ET)
Venue: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
Last Game Results
Los Angeles Lakers (31-7): 107-98 win over Golden State Warriors (10 January, Friday)
Oklahoma City Thunder (22-16): 113-92 win over Houston Rockets (9 January, Thursday)
Los Angeles Lakers Preview
With Anthony Davis missing his third game of the season after taking a fall and being sore against the Knicks, the Los Angeles Lakers managed to kick it up a notch and beat the Dallas Mavericks on the road in convincing fashion.
Moreover, LeBron James and Avery Bradley are playing with flu-like symptoms, as the Thunder await on the second night of a back-to-back. Currently, the Lakers are leading the West with an imposing 31-7 (0.816) win-loss record, and have won all of their last seven matchups.
Key Player - LeBron James
LeBron James turned 35 just a few days ago, but his resilience to play through injuries and illness has aged like fine wine. In his 17th season, Bron is leading the league with 10.7 assists per game, along with blazing averages in 25.4 points and 8.4 rebounds as well.
He is shooting almost 49% from the field and leading the Davis-less group with utmost maturity. He posted an impeccable stat line of 35 points, 16 rebounds and 7 assists against Dallas, making sure his team cruised through for a road win against a quality side.
Lakers Predicted Lineup
Kyle Kuzma, LeBron James, JaVale McGee, Avery Bradley, Danny
Oklahoma City Thunder Preview
The Oklahoma City Thunder have emerged as arguably the most exciting team to watch this season. With their most recent victory over the Houston Rockets, OKC improved to 22-16 (0.579) on the season, having won eleven of their last thirteen clashes.
With five players averaging well over the 10-point mark, the new-look Thunder roster is versatile and hard to defend. Although still a 7th seed, they possess the talent to make it big as the season progresses.
Key Player - Chris Paul
Chris Paul has been his best self in a Thunder uniform, pulling off in-game nutmegs and averaging 16.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists in the background. The 34-year-old is shooting around 38% from the three-point land and making 90% of his free-throws.
His 1.6 steals per game on the defensive end have been an effective addition to the feisty Thunder defense. The result of the Rockets-Thunder matchup came as an exclamation mark to the argument of how well CP3 is fitting at OKC than he ever could in Houston.
Thunder Predicted Lineup
Danilo Gallinari, Steven Adams, Chris Paul, Terrance Ferguson, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Lakers vs Thunder Match Prediction
The Lakers might be without their leading scorer when they take the court in Oklahoma. But the rest of the guys are stepping up to the challenge on both ends of the court. The Thunder are playing their best basketball of the season at the moment, and are a hard nut to crack in their own backyard. However, the Lakers are expected to impose their will in more ways than one and come out scarred but victorious. This will be a fun matchup to watch.
Where to watch Lakers vs Thunder?
There will be local coverage of the game on Fox Sports Oklahoma and Spectrum Sportsnet from 8:00 PM (ET). You can also live stream the game via NBA League Pass.