Colin Cowherd rips Lakers as frauds after humiliating loss to Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder dismantled the Los Angeles Lakers 139-96 on Thursday night, and the blowout raised some serious questions about where the Lakers actually stand. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led a dominant Thunder performance that held LeBron James to just 13 points and Luka Doncic to 12 before a hamstring injury knocked him out in the third quarter. MORE: LeBron James defends Lakers camaraderie after blowout loss to OKC Thunder The 43-point beatdown came as a shock considering the Lakers rolled into the game winners of nine of their last ten.
Some NBA fans even floated this as a potential Western Conference Finals preview. Colin Cowherd questions Lakers legitimacy Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James reacts after a call against hindering a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images That prediction aged poorly.
The gap between these two teams looked massive when the final buzzer sounded, and analyst Colin Cowherd wasted no time pointing it out. “The Lakers moved up in weight class and got knocked out in the first round. Oklahoma City has led by 30 (points) at half three times this season, twice against the Lakers,” Cowherd said on ‘The Herd.
’ “Sometimes it’s hard to tell a fake Louis Vuitton bag from a real one until they’re next to each other, and I think you know what I’m getting at. ” Cowherd made it clear he doesn’t view the Lakers as a legitimate championship contender after Thursday’s demolition. In his view, it’s tough to spot the difference between something real and something that just looks the part until they’re sitting side by side.
MORE: Luka Doncic injury stokes debate about NBA 65-game rule for postseason awards Oklahoma City may not obsess over regular-season wins after already claiming the top seed. But Cowherd believes certain games still carry weight. This one sent a message about hierarchy in the West while boosting Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP case.