Just as everyone expected, the same Los Angeles Lakers who lost outright to the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers before allowing the Chicago Bulls to make things interesting late in their last game went out and beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in overtime, 138-128.
Things didn’t start out on such a positive path. Midway through the first quarter, Luke Walton was asked by Allie LaForce of TNT what was hurting the Lakers as they seemingly walked into the gym down double digits and his answer was simple: They weren’t competing.