Without Luka Doncic, Thunder series is a lose-lose for Lakers
While the superstar guard's presence on the court doesn't mean the Lakers could upset Oklahoma City, it would give them a better idea of where they stand.
Lakers guard Luka Doncic and teammate Jake LaRavia yell at referees after a perceived foul wasn't called against the Thunder during Game 3 on Saturday night at Crypto. com Arena. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) I swear, if Luka Doncic was playing, this second-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder would be going differently.
The Lakers wouldn’t be losing … … second halves by so much. But if his hamstring allowed their offensive engine to drive, the offense might not be humming. But the Lakers could probably keep it running.
They might not be keeping pace, but with the league’s leading scorer contributing, the gap wouldn’t be a year wide by every game’s end. The Lakers really miss Doncic. Duh.
Read more: Lakers drop Game 3 to Thunder; now one loss from elimination But it’s not only because, without him, they’re stuck reliving a recurring nightmare; in all three games, the Lakers have played Oklahoma City tough in the first half, including taking the lead into halftime in Games 2 and 3, only for it to be yanked away. It’s also because they’re also losing data points on the scoreboard going into a pivotal offseason. This whole Western Conference semifinal series against these defending champions has been a lose-lose proposition for the Lakers, who are now down 3-0 and staring into the elimination abyss in Game 4 on Monday.
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