LaRavia: Lakers Respect Thunder but Won’t Play Scared in West Semifinal
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LOS ANGELES — Forward Jake LaRavia insisted Sunday that the Los Angeles Lakers enter their upcoming Western Conference semifinal against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder undaunted by long-shot odds.
“A lot of us on this team have been underdogs our whole lives,” LaRavia said after practice at the Lakers’ training facility. “We respect how good they are, but our goal is to win the series. You can’t walk into a game fearing the opponent or you’ll get punked.”
Underdog role doesn’t faze Lakers
Los Angeles advanced by eliminating the Houston Rockets in the first round but dropped all four regular-season meetings with Oklahoma City. Both sides dealt with key absences during those games, and LaRavia noted that postseason basketball presents a “different beast” in which coaches can focus on a single rival.
First-year head coach JJ Redick is expected to make significant adjustments as the Lakers attempt to slow Thunder All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. LaRavia said he will spend stretches matched up with Gilgeous-Alexander and emphasized that containing Oklahoma City will require a collective effort.
Praise for Thunder depth
LaRavia credited the Thunder’s roster for its versatility and physicality. “There were plenty of nights this season where they had guys in and out, and whoever stepped in could just hoop,” he said. “Defensively, on the ball and off the ball, they’re strong across the board. It should be a great series.”
Game 1 of the best-of-seven is scheduled for later this week at Crypto.com Arena, where the Lakers will try to rewrite their regular-season story and continue their postseason run.
Source: LakersNation.com
