Pregame 20: Lights! Camera! Action!

Hollywood finds its way to the "Peake" tonight (quick, someone call TMZ!).

The Thunder play the Los Angeles Lakers tonight for the first time this season, playing in a rematch of the Western Conference Semifinals from last season. Both teams have completely new looks this season, with LA doing away with Bynum and acquiring Steve Nash and Dwight Howard and the Thunder trading James Harden and acquiring Kevin Martin (man, I am going to definitely miss those Kobe V. Harden match-ups). So even though this a rematch, it feels like we have two different teams coming into tonight.

The Thunder step onto the court tonight riding a 6-game win streak, most notably with a win against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, 117-111. The Thunder are tied for the best record in the NBA with the Spurs, both teams being 15-4.

The Lakers, however, have been a disappointment to NBA fans and their own because of the lack luster season they have had so far. The Lakers have started out with a record under .500, at 9-10. The Lakers were staged for one of the best season of all time with 4 future Hall of Fame candidates, but because of injuries to Steve Nash and Pau Gasol and an offense and team that has yet to gel, the Lakers have failed to live up to their potential.

Tonight will be a defining game for both teams. The Thunder can prove for good that there team is still what it was last year even without Harden, a Finals contender. The Lakers can show the NBA tonight that they are still one of the best teams out there and still have a team that can live up to its potential.

Steve Nash and Pau Gasol will be out for this game, Nash with a fracture in his shin and Pau Gasol with tendinitis in his knees.

Now onto the stats

“It is not light that we need, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake." ~Fredrick Douglas
Stat Leaders


Oklahoma City Thunder 

Stat per game/leader/avg.stat

Points- Kevin Durant(26.5)
Rebounds- Kevin Durant (8.5)
Assists-Russell Westbrook (8.7)
Steals- Russell Westbrook (2.1)
Blocks- Serge Ibaka (3.3)

Los Angeles Lakers

Points- Kobe Bryant (28.0)
Rebounds- Dwight Howard (11.2)
Assists- Kobe Bryant (4.9)
Steals- Kobe Bryant (1.6)
Blocks- Dwight Howard (2.8)

Important Player of the Game:

Thunder: Thabo Sefolosha. With the proverbial yang to Kobe's yin gone, James Harden, look for Thabo to play much more  minutes then he normally plays in a game. There is really no defensive stopper for Kobe Bryant on the second team of the Thunder, which leave the bulk of the defensive duty on one of the best players to play the game and one of the better scorers in the game to Thabo. Even though Thabo's offensive presence might wane in this game because of his added attention to defense, Thabo has been known to lock down on Kobe and give him fits.

Lakers: Dwight Howard. Dwight Howard has not lived up to his potential as of late, even though he has put up an avg. of a double-double on the year so far, with 18.5 points per game and 11.2 rebounds per game. The Thunder has a definite advantage because of Perkins nack for stopping Dwight and the Thunder aren't against using the Hack-A-Howard tactic, as they did against Tiago Splitter in the Western Conference finals last season. So, in order for Howard to be effective, he must overcome his pitfalls against Perkins and make the free-throws when the Thunder put him on the line late in the game.

Three Keys To the Game

1.  Perkins Vs. Howard. Kendrick Perkins, regardless of his lack of offensive ability, has always been know for having the ability to lock down a team's best center with his knowledge of the game and his basketball IQ in terms of defense. Perkins will need to shut down Howard in order to make this a decisive victory for the Thunder.
2. Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant is one of the best players in the league still, as is apparent with his averaging of 28 points a game while at the ripe old age of 34. Even though the tactic of leaving Kobe Bryant open on shots in order to funnel the offense through him and no one else works sometimes, the Thunder must play sound fundamental defense on Kobe in order to secure the win tonight.
3. Transitions. The Thunder are one of the better teams in the league this year in transition, both on the defensive and offensive side of the ball. The Thunder are only second in terms of transition defense and are one of the most explosive teams in the open court. Look for the Thunder to bust out on transitions as fast as they can, pushing the pace against a Lakers offensive that primarily works in the half court.

The Thunder play the Los Angeles Lakers in the Peake tonight, with the game starting late @ 8:30 PM CT. You can watch the game on ESPN, Fox Sports Oklahoma, or listen to the game on WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640AM).

 

(Credit: ESPN Stats and Information)