Basketball Betting

NBA Playoff Preview - LA Lakers vs. Oklahoma City

Basketball Betting Lines

04/16/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After leading the league in scoring and setting all kinds of team records, MVP candidate Kevin Durant will face a task taller than himself when he leads the upstart Oklahoma City Thunder against the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.

The Thunder captured the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs, but played poorly down the stretch. Oklahoma City is in the postseason for the first time since the Seattle SuperSonics won the Northwest Division back in the 2004-05 campaign. It didn't fair particularly well against the Lakers this season, going 1-3, and has lost 12 of the past 13 matchups in the series. Durant averaged 25.8 points in those four games against LA.

Head coach Scott Brooks has a young and talented roster, but the likelihood of unseating the defending champion Lakers is doubtful. While Durant steals all the headlines, Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green, James Harden and veteran Nenad Krstic are quietly doing their part in turning this franchise around. It's just too bad the Thunder couldn't avoid this matchup with their fallout at the end of the regular season.

Meanwhile, Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss will be enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in August, but has another date with the playoffs prior to his personal achievement. The legendary owner of the Lakers since 1979, Buss and the Lakers will begin defense of their championship as the No. 1 seed for a third straight year.

Buss has been the architect of one of the most successful organizations in the history of professional sports, and is aiming for the franchise's 16th NBA title. Los Angeles has won nine titles and reached the NBA Finals 15 times under the current ownership, and is trying to pull even with the Boston Celtics all-time record of 17 championships. Last summer the Lakers beat Orlando in five games and raised the trophy for the first time since 2002, the last of three consecutive championships. The Lakers have missed the postseason just twice since the 1993-94 season.

Whether it's Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal or Kobe Bryant, the Pacific Division-champion Lakers have always had an iconic figure running the floor. It's been Bryant's team the past decade and the future Hall of Fame guard was rewarded handsomely with a three-year contract, and deservedly so. He led the Lakers in scoring once again and the All-Star is primed for his fifth career NBA championship. The 12-time All-Star and 2009 NBA Finals MVP, Bryant has a similar cast around him again this postseason. Mix in first-year Laker Ron Artest and LA is the favorite again to win it all for a second straight year.

MATCHUPS:

POINT GUARD: Lakers point guard Derek Fisher is a veteran of the game and can run Phil Jackson's triangle offense blindfolded and with one hand tied behind his back. The sweet-stroking lefty's numbers were down a bit in 2009-10, but that doesn't mean much with the playoffs in town. Unlike most point guards in the NBA, Fisher has several weapons to hand the ball off to in Bryant, Pau Gasol, Ron Artest and Lamar Odom. Fisher has played in 160 career playoff games, averaging 8.2 points and 2.5 assists.

Westbrook would be a star on some other roster, but doesn't mind playing in the shadows of Durant. The speedy guard averaged nearly 17 points and nine assists this season for the Thunder and is one of the top passers in the game. Westbrook, though, is young and will get a crash course on playoff performances from his counterpart in Fisher.

EDGE: LAKERS

SHOOTING GUARD: Bryant finished within the top five in scoring this season and is once again a candidate for MVP. The all-world Bryant, who has been a cornerstone of the Lakers for so long. In Bryant's 13 seasons with the Lakers they have appeared in postseason play in all but one season (2004-05), and have reached the NBA Finals six times, winning championships in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2009. Bryant is the youngest player in NBA history to score 25,000 points and also moved past Jerry West to become the Lakers all-time leading scorer. In 159 career playoff games, Bryant is averaging 24.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

Meanwhile, Thabo Sefolosha doesn't stand a chance in this category. Oklahoma City will be victimized early and often by Bryant, and can only survive if the four-time champion comes down with a case of dysentery. Sefolosha is another youngster hoping to make an impact for his team, but his numbers are too low to even give the Thunder a worthy shot. Brooks will need help from his bench at the shooting guard spot this entire series.

EDGE: LAKERS

CENTER: Gasol was instant offense when the Lakers acquired his services during the 2007-08 campaign. The lanky Spaniard is LA's top shot blocking threat and gives Jackson an imposing presence in the middle. Gasol should thrive in this first-round series against the inexperienced Thunder. He owns averages of 18.1 points and 9.3 rebounds in 56 postseason contests. Oft-injured center Andrew Bynum is another big man at Jackson's disposal but is currently sidelined with an Achilles issue.

Krstic is wrapping up his second season with the Thunder, and will put his 7-0, 240-pound frame to work in this one. Not much of a big rebounder or shot blocker Krstic brings a veteran attitude and above average skills to the table. Barring early foul trouble, Krstic and Oklahoma City's chances of pulling off an upset will be spearheaded by the inside game. Brooks hopes a knee contusion won't hamper his big man too often this series.

EDGE: EVEN

SMALL FORWARD: Artest is arguably on the best team in his career and finally gets a chance at making a deep run into the playoffs. The enigmatic force underneath has curbed a bad attitude for team work and dedication in LA, but his numbers are down from previous seasons. Luckily for the Lakers, they have many players who have picked up the slack. The Lakers aren't known as a running team and must take advantage of Artest in the low post. In 44 career playoff games, Artest is posting 16.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Durant, the youngest scoring champion in NBA history, set the all-time franchise record for most points scored in a single season. He reached the 2,000 point mark in just his 68th game of the season and in doing so became one of only two NBA players to accomplish the feat at age 21 or younger. LeBron James reached the 2,000-point scored plateau in his 65th game during the 2005-06 campaign at the age of 21. The smooth-stroking Durant became the only active NBA player to score 25 or more points in 29 consecutive games, with the Thunder going 20-9 in that period. He averaged 32.4 ppg over that time and will surely carry OKC in this series.

EDGE: THUNDER

POWER FORWARD: Odom was shifted into the starting role when Bynum went down with an Achilles injury, and is smooth-shooting lefty. The veteran Odom is enjoying his best season statistic-wise since the 2007-08 campaign and is poised to bring home another NBA title. Unfortunately, that goal will be put on hold for quite some time in this first-round matchup with the Thunder.

Green has established himself as a worthy power forward at the elite level in his third NBA season. The former Georgetown star moves well for a big man, and will give the Lakers problems inside against Odom, Gasol and Artest. Green is Oklahoma City's best threat down low and should record a few double-doubles this series.

EDGE: THUNDER

BENCH: Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton and Sasha Vujacic are LA's top bench players, with Brown leading the bunch with almost eight points per game. Jackson relies heavily on his starters' ability to compete and establish big leads, which makes the job a lot easier for his inexperienced and overmatched reserves. Pending the health issues of Bynum, Odom or the aforementioned center will be a big boost off the pine.

Nick Collison is the veteran of the Thunder reserves and can light it up when asked. Don't expect that to happen this series since Green earned the starting nod at power forward. Harden, Eric Maynor and Serge Ibaka couldn't be picked out of a police lineup, and don't match up well with LA reserves.

EDGE: LAKERS

COACHING: Jackson has won 10 titles as a head coach and helped the Lakers become the first NBA franchise to 3,000 wins back in January. The 'Zen Master' is in his 10th season as head coach of the Lakers and has led the franchise to six Western Conference titles, and has the highest playoff winning percentage of any coach in league history. He passed legendary Celtics coach Red Auerbach with his 10th title last summer, and his resume is beyond reproach.

Brooks resume doesn't compare to his counterpart's, but has done an incredible job with his talented group of youngsters. Brooks is in his first full season as head coach of Oklahoma City, was named interim head coach 13 games into the 2008-09 season and was later named head coach on April 15, 2009. His lack of experience will surface when this series tips off.

EDGE: LAKERS

PREDICTION: The high-scoring Lakers are well aware that Oklahoma City is a dangerous team that will come out firing on all cylinders as a tremendous underdog. But that's when Bryant will take over and prove that the Thunder aren't ready for this type of experience yet. Yes, the Thunder are a good squad filled with a few young stars, but have their hands full in this first- round matchup. Look for Gasol, Odom and Artest to solidify their positions down low, with a few tempers flaring at some point between OKC bigs Green and Krstic. Jackson is made for coaching in the playoffs and title No. 16 will be even closer after this series concludes in five contests.

LAKERS in 5