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The Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t blow anyone away with their performance in the series opener with the Los Angeles Lakers. But when the smoke settled, OKC beat L.A. by 18 points despite star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander having a quiet night.
My same-game parlay for Thursday’s Game 2 isn’t getting in the way of Oklahoma City, even with LeBron James doing the lion’s share of the scoring for Los Angeles.
Here are my NBA picks, SGP, and Lakers vs. Thunder predictions for May 6.
Our best Lakers vs Thunder SGP for Game 2SGP leg #1: Thunder -15.5It was like “death by 1,000 papercuts” for the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1. They were able to hang around for a while, but the Oklahoma City Thunder kept cashing in on the Lakers’ miscues, and when it all added up over 48 minutes, the Thunder had an 18-point win.
Los Angeles doesn’t have the offensive firepower or the defense to trade blows with the reigning champs. With OKC waking up from a long slumber between series, it rolls over L.A. in Game 2.
SGP leg #2: LeBron James Over 21.5 PointsLeBron James scored 27 points in an extremely efficient effort in Game 1, hitting 12 of 17 shots. James got whatever he wanted, and OKC seemed fine with that, passing on pressures or double teams on the Lakers' star.
The Thunder were more focused on shutting down L.A.’s supporting staff. James will continue to score in Game 2, with projections north of 23 points, and I expect his field-goal total to jump back up to 20+ as long as the other Lakers are struggling.
SGP leg #3: Chet Holmgren Over 16.5 PointsChet Holmgren is a big problem for the Los Angeles defense. The Thunder’s 7-footer led the way with 24 points in Game 1, and a lot of those were easy buckets and dunks.
His size, quickness, and energy expose L.A.’s soft interior protection, and his ability to step outside and knock down triples is almost undefendable. He’s forecasted for another 20+ point performance in Game 2.
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