In two previous meetings between the OKC Thunder and LA Lakers, neither match was won until the final frame. Those early matches against the Lakers occurred at the time the Thunder were still figuring out their system and developing chemistry.
To say this is a different club than the team the Lakers faced early in the season is an understatement. OKC exited those games 5-10 on the season. Since that time the Thunder hold a record of 17-6 which is very close to the 18-5 record the Lakers have amassed over the same period.
Suffice to say the team who’ll be on the hardwood today is a much improved Thunder squad who’ve figured out how to mesh their offense and lockdown defensively.