Lakers Look To Hand Thunder First Home Loss
Kobe Bryant and the Lakers face Kevin Durant and the Thunder Friday night.
Without a win since the return of Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers head to the Sooner State Friday to face the high-flying Oklahoma City Thunder.
Tip-off at Chesapeake Energy Arena in downtown Oklahoma City is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET.
The Lakers (10-11, 4-5 road) and Thunder (17-4, 10-0 home) have experienced varying fortunes through the first quarter of the NBA campaign.
Without Bryant to start the year, the Lakers spluttered to 10 wins amidst a string of ailments, including a back injury to Steve Nash that has kept the two-time MVP out since early November.
Bryant returned on Sunday but his rusty performance wasn’t enough to lead the Lakers past the Toronto Raptors. He looked sharper on Wednesday – scoring 20 points on 6 for 11 shooting – but the Lakers succumbed to an offensive-minded Phoenix Suns side.
Losers of two straight and three of the last four, the Lakers will be looking to find a way back into the win column by any means necessary.
Oklahoma City has begun the year in the type of form most observers, including the bookmakers that ranked the side third favorite to win the NBA title, expected.
Kevin Durant has been in MVP form, leading the league in scoring (28.4ppg) and dialing up 10 double-doubles. Russell Westbrook, returning from injury himself, is averaging better than 21 points per game as well as 6.4 assists (11th) and 2.0 steals (9th), and generally looks like the all-around threat we’ve come to expect. Serge Ibaka ranks in the top 10 in rebounds (9.8rpg) and is third in blocks (2.48bpg), behind only Anthony Davis and Roy Hibbert.
Most importantly, the Thunder keeps winning.
Scott Brooks’ side will look for a fifth straight win on Friday. Success would see the Thunder win for the 13th time in 14 games.
The Lakers will attempt to become the first team this season to beat the Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mike D’Antoni’s side has won three straight away from Staples Center, but those wins came against the Sacramento Kings, Detroit Pistons and Brooklyn Nets. Oklahoma City is a whole other level of competition.
News surfaced this week that the Lakers will be without point guard Steve Blake for up to six weeks as a result of an elbow injury. With Nash (back) and Jordan Farmar (hamstring) already sidelined, the Lakers are now without a recognized point guard to run the team.
Kobe Bryant is likely to start at point guard in Oklahoma City on Friday. His first port of call will be a matchup with Westbrook, a showdown that could test both players’ injuries.
Unless the Lakers’ front office pulls a backup point guard in off the street, Bryant could face a tough run of matchups, with Kemba Walker, Jeff Teague, Mike Conley, Ricky Rubio, Stephen Curry and the Phoenix tandem of Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic on tap. Bryant’s 35-year-old body could be feeling it after the youth brigade is done with it.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder odds for 12/13/2013
Unbeaten at home, Oklahoma City unsurprisingly opens at the favorite.
Oklahoma City has won six straight at home against the Lakers including the 2012 NBA Playoffs. The Lakers’ last win in Chesapeake Energy Arena was on February 27, 2011. Dating back to its time in Seattle, the Thunder is 59-53 all-time at home against the Lakers.
The spread opened at 9 but has subsequently climbed as high as 12.5, depending which sportsbook you choose.
The Lakers (13-8-0 ATS) have been one of the league’s best teams against the spread, but recently things have started to slip. The team has failed to cover the spread in three of its last four games.
Oklahoma City (12-9-0 ATS) meanwhile is heading in the other direction. The team has covered the spread in its last four games and 10 of the last 14. The Thunder is also 8-3-1 ATS in its last 12 games at home against the Lakers.
The over/under opened at 209.5 but has slipped as low as 208.
With Oklahoma City’s fourth-ranked scoring offense meeting the Lakers’ 29th-ranked scoring defense, points aren’t exactly going to be at a premium in this one, so the over looks like a solid option.
Both the Lakers (12-9-0) and Thunder (12-9-0) have favored the over this season while the total has gone over in five of the last seven meetings between the sides as wells as four of the last five played in the Sooner State.
The Lakers and Thunder will lock-up three more times this season. On February 13 and March 8 the teams will meet at Staples Center. On March 13 the teams will return to Chesapeake Energy Arena.
For a full list of today’s NBA odds, click here.
For updated NBA futures odds, click here.
For updated NBA team prop bets, click here.
For updated NBA player prop bets, click here.
