Thunder vs. Lakers preview: Thunder battle back-to-back, Doncic & Reeves strive for upset
6686 Sports November 12th The NBA regular season will continue tomorrow, with the Thunder playing against the Lakers at home.
As the defending champion, the Thunder started the new season in a hot competitive state. In the absence of Jaylen Williams, they won an 8-game winning streak. After the winning streak was ended by the Trail Blazers, they defeated the Kings, Grizzlies and Warriors to win 3 consecutive games. This time they were playing back-to-back games, but the previous game did not cost much. The victory was established after three quarters against the Warriors. Alexander scored 28 points and 11 assists in three quarters. The Thunder currently have a record of 11 wins and 1 loss, ranking first in the league.
The Thunder have always occupied the first position in the strength list, and their performance on both ends of the offense and defense is very strong. The average points conceded at 108.3 points per game is the fewest in the league. In terms of star quality, Alexander averaged 32.8 points and 6.4 assists per game. When Jaylen Williams is unable to play, Mitchell, Joe and Wiggins can all provide firepower support. Holmgren has also become more stable, averaging 19.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, with a shooting percentage of nearly 60%.
The Lakers have also been in a very hot competitive state recently. They have won 6 out of the past 7 games, but they suffered an upset defeat against the Hawks. In the last game against the Hornets, the team also won easily. Doncic scored 38 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists, Reeves had 24 points and 7 assists, Hachimura also had 21 points, and Smart had 7 interceptions. The Lakers currently have a record of 8 wins and 3 losses, ranking fourth in the Western Conference.
In the absence of James, Doncic and Reeves have taken on the offensive responsibility. According to statistics, when they are on the court this season, their offensive efficiency value is as high as 124.6, which is the highest in NBA history. Doncic currently averages 37.1 points, 9.4 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game, while Reeves averages 30.3 points and 9 assists. The offensive firepower is still very strong. The Lakers' offensive efficiency is very high this season, ranking first in the league in field goal percentage of 51.2%, and this is despite only shooting 33.9% of three-pointers.
This is the first meeting between the two teams this season. In the three meetings last season, the Thunder had the upper hand with 2 wins and 1 loss. And this time the Thunder are playing back-to-back games, and Doncic and Reeves are in such hot competitive form that they have a chance to achieve an upset.
