In short, the Lakers should really hope they get the Thunder in the playoffs and not the Nuggets
It also doesn’t feel like an exaggeration to call the majority of the next three quarters one of the best defensive stretches for the Lakers this season. Matched up against one of the best teams in the conference and the NBA, the Lakers held OKC to 39.4% shooting and pummeled them in the paint.
As much as the Lakers have nothing more to throw at the Nuggets as they create matchup headaches, the inverse is true for the Thunder. Chet Holmgren has a bright future in the NBA but he has no answer for Anthony Davis in the present, nor does OKC as a whole.
For the third time this season, the Lakers came away with a win over the Thunder. Matchups make fights and that’s never more clear than in the triangle of the Lakers-Nuggets-Thunder.
The Nuggets are 3-0 vs. the Lakers
The Lakers are 3-1 vs. the Thunder
The Thunder are 3-1 vs. the Nuggets
In short, the Lakers should really hope they get the Thunder in the playoffs and not the Nuggets.
So, let’s grade the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.
