The Lakers are achieved.
They comprehend it. We all know it.
They path their second-round playoff sequence in opposition to the reigning champion Thunder 3-0, a deficit no NBA staff has ever recovered from. So, what’s left to play for in Sport 4?
For the Lakers, there’s satisfaction on the road. They don’t need to get swept.
LeBron James, who’s undecided about his future, doesn’t need his profession to probably finish so unceremoniously.
Austin Reaves, who has free company looming this summer time after he’s anticipated to show down his $14.9 million participant choice for subsequent season, desires to depart a powerful impression as he tries to safe a profitable contract.
Lakers coach JJ Redick has gotten the staff to battle all season. He’s not going to allow them to drop the rope now.
“Nonetheless assume we will beat them,” Redick stated after the Lakers’ 131-108 loss in Sport 3.
These phrases ring empty.
It’s a scream at a rock live performance. A pant underwater.
The Lakers don’t have any probability of constructing a historic comeback. Not in opposition to the Thunder, who’re youthful and deeper and make them seem like a puttering previous Chevy that ran out of gasoline within the second half of video games, the place they’ve been outscored by a median of 18 factors.
However don’t count on the Lakers to simply accept a sweep. Not this staff. If there’s one factor we’ve discovered about them this season it’s that they’ve plenty of battle.
Once they’ve hit partitions, they’ve bared their tooth.
When the Massive 3 was an offensive legal responsibility, James embraced being the staff’s third choice, an unprecedented downgrade for a celebrity of his caliber who might nonetheless lead a staff.
That sacrifice decluttered their offense, main the Lakers to go on a 16-2 run this spring.
Simply as they have been thought-about potential championship contenders, they shockingly misplaced Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Reaves (indirect) on April 2. After that, they weren’t anticipated to even make it out of the primary spherical of the playoffs. Not with out their two main scorers, who averaged a mixed 60 factors a sport.
How did they reply?
They jumped to a 3-0 sequence lead over the Rockets. The 41-year-old James placed on his Superman cape. Luke Kennard confirmed he’s greater than a 3-point specialist. Marcus Good placed on a defensive clinic. From high to backside, everybody starred of their roles as they clawed their well beyond Houston in six video games.
However all of that effort simply secured a date with somebody fully out of their league.
Towards the Thunder, they have been going through a staff that they misplaced to by a median of 29 factors a sport within the common season. They have been with out Doncic. However they nonetheless fought. They stored video games shut within the first half earlier than crumbling.
Now they’re going through their hardest problem.
How will they reply when issues are hopeless?
If the Lakers win Sport 4, they’ll simply be shopping for themselves a visit to Oklahoma Metropolis, the place they’ll play the league’s high staff in one of many hardest arenas. They’ll simply be delaying the inevitable. They’ll be prolonging their struggling.
However nonetheless, count on the Lakers to battle.
James didn’t turn out to be arguably the best participant of all time by waving the white flag when issues received robust.
Reaves didn’t skyrocket from being undrafted to turning into a star by rolling over when issues turn out to be difficult.
Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if the Lakers have been swept? Not precisely. Not in opposition to this traditionally nice Thunder staff that seemingly has an limitless military of contemporary legs.
What can be embarrassing is that if they rolled over Monday.
“Clearly, this case sucks,” Reaves stated. “However that doesn’t give us the license to give up. We gotta are available right here and compete. We owe the group that. We owe one another that. We owe our followers that. So we’re gonna come right here Monday and play as onerous as we will.”
Count on the Lakers to exit swinging.
How small are their probabilities?
Groups trailing 3-0 in a playoff sequence are 0-161 all time.
Towards the Thunder, whom Redick known as “one of many biggest groups ever,” no matter infinitesimal probability they’ve shrinks to one thing imperceptible by the human mind.
The Lakers could also be swinging on the air.
However they’ll nonetheless be swinging.
In any other case that might be a really tragic finish to a season crammed with a lot coronary heart.
