Who: Los Angeles Lakers (35-42) at Oklahoma City Thunder (44-33)
When: Tuesday, April 2nd; 5 p.m. PST; Chesapeake Energy Arena
Where: TNT, Spectrum SportsNet
The Los Angeles Lakers will matchup one last time against Paul George and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.
The last time these teams played the Lakers won on the road in a thriller, with Lonzo Ball hitting clutch baskets to help L.A. come out on top in overtime. That would be one of the last high points of the season as injuries started to pile up afterward.
With LeBron James finally added to the list of guys ruled out for rest of the season, it’s easy to look forward to the lottery balls in May. The Lakers continue to fight, though, as they’ve won four of their last five games.
Here’s what to look for as the look to win the regular season series against the Thunder:
The South Bay Stars
The guys from the South Bay Lakers stepped up once again on Sunday, led by Alex Caruso, who had another strong showing with 23 points, six assists, and finished a +24 in the box score. They are going to need another big contribution from him if they want to continue their winning streak.
Jemerrio Jones, who was just signed to a two-year contract, appeared in his first game for the team on Sunday and immediately showed off his hustle, picking up an offensive rebound and a steal in five minutes of play. Expect him to get more time as the season continues to dwindle down.
Javale
Javale McGee continues to play well after struggling for much of the latter half of the season. In the Lakers’ last six games, he is averaging 19.8 points, 14.3 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks in 30.9 minutes. Look for him to have another strong night, and with the limited market for centers this upcoming off season, he could become a viable option to return next year.
Honorable mention: Oklahoma City leads the league in offensive rebounding at 12.4 per game, so keeping them off the glass will be critical to this being a competitive contest.
