Los Angeles Lakers’ players, fans and even coaches are fed up with the officiating after Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals, but a bad whistle isn’t why they lost. The Lakers simply can’t compete with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s depth.
The final buzzer sounded, and the officials faced immediate backlash.
Players, led by Austin Reaves and LeBron James, huddled around Referee James Goble at half court. Memes criticizing the refs flooded social media. And Head Coach J.J. Redick took the mic at the postgame press conference.
“They have a few guys that foul on every possession,” he told reporters after the game. “They’re hard enough to play. You gotta be able to just call it if they foul, and they do foul.”
Even if the whistle was all-knowing and all-powerful last night, the Lakers still would have lost. They’re outmatched.
The Gameplan Isn’t Working
Give credit to Redick. He has implemented a defensive gameplan to keep Shai Gilgeous-Alexander uninvolved, and the Lakers have executed it perfectly. In this series, they have held the likely back-to-back MVP to his lowest scoring total (19, Game 1) and and assist total (2, Game 2) of the season. Last night, they held SGA to a, relatively, mere 22 points.
The Lakers have kept the ball out of his hands with immediate double teams, traps and face-guarding when he’s off the ball. They’re forcing the Thunder’s “others” to beat them. The “others” are answering the call.
Five Thunder players besides Gilgeous-Alexander scored in double figures. Two of them, Ajay Mitchell and Chet Holmgren, scored at least 20 points. Five Thunder players had a higher plus-minus than Gilgeous-Alexander. Five other Thunder players made a three-pointer.
Five Lakers in total scored in double figures. Those same five Lakers were the only players to make a three-point field goal.
It also doesn’t help that the Lakers continue to struggle taking care of the ball. They lead the playoffs in turnovers per game with 18.1. Last night, they eclipsed that number by turning the ball over 20 times, which led to 26 Thunder points.
The Lakers have found a way to do the impossible. They have kept Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in check, but at what cost?
When double teams are constantly thrown at Gilgeous-Alexander, it allows every other Thunder player to play in space. And they have proved that their entire roster is a threat.
It’s time for the Lakers to reevaluate their gameplan. They can’t keep up with the onslaught of the Thunder’s depth.
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