2010 NBA Playoffs Preview: Lakers vs. Thunder

They've each got a high-scoring impact player, but the similarities pretty much end there between Oklahoma City and Los Angeles. The Lakers are the defending NBA champions and have made it to the NBA Finals each of the past two seasons; the Thunder are in the playoffs for the first time since moving to Oklahoma City. Still, the upstart Thunder are loaded with young talent and put together a 50-win season to make the playoffs as the West's No. 8 seed. They face the top-seeded defending champs when the first-round series begins on Sunday, April 18, in Los Angeles.

The Regular Season

Records: Los Angeles finished the regular season 57-25; Oklahoma City went 50-32.
Season series: The Lakers took three of the four games against the Thunder, their only loss a 91-75 road defeat on March 26 in a game that saw Kobe Bryant turn the ball over nine times and saw Oklahoma City beat the Lakers for the first time in 13 games.

Series Schedule
(All times Eastern)
Game 1: Sunday, April 18, Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers, 3 p.m.
Game 2: Tuesday, April 20, Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m.
Game 3: Thursday, April 22, L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m.
Game 4: Saturday, April 24, L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m.
Game 5: Tuesday, April 27, Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers, TBD (if necessary)
Game 6: April 30, L.A. Lakers at Oklahoma City, TBD (if necessary)
Game 7: Sunday, May 2, Oklahoma City at L.A. Lakers, TBD (if necessary)

Playoff History

Simply put, the Lakers have playoff experience, the Thunder don't. Bryant has won four NBA titles during his career with the Lakers, most recently in the 2008-09 season, when he was named NBA Finals MVP for the first time as L.A. defeated the Orlando Magic 4-1 for the franchise's 15th championship. A season earlier, Los Angeles reached the Finals and finished as runner-up to the Boston Celtics, with the Celtics winning 4-2. The Thunder are making their first playoff appearance since the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City; they were last in the playoffs in the 2004-05 season as the Seattle SuperSonics.

The Lakers

Bryant is averaging 27.0 points per game and looking to guide L.A. to its third consecutive appearance in the NBA Finals. Ron Artest is the Lakers' defensive stalwart, and will be tasked with trying to slow down NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant, who averaged 27.0 points per game against the Lakers this season. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum provide the Lakers with a solid presence in the middle, Gasol averaging 18.3 points and 11.3 rebounds while playing both power forward and center this season, and Bynum turning in 15.0 points and 8.3 rebounds a game. Bynum is likely to be rusty and might see limited minutes early in the series after sitting out since March 19 with an Achilles' tendon injury. According to ESPN.com, he returned to the court on Wednesday and expects to return to the lineup for the series. Lamar Odom is another player to watch in this series after averaging 10.8 points and 9.8 rebounds in the regular season.

The Thunder

The 21-year-old Kevin Durant became the youngest player in league history to win an NBA scoring title, sealing the deal at 30.1 points per game with his 31-point performance in Oklahoma City's regular-season finale against Memphis, a 114-105 Thunder victory. Thabo Sefolosha's defensive assignment will be trying to guard Bryant, who averaged 32.3 points in the two teams' first three meetings this season before being held to 11 on 4-for-11 shooting on March 26. Second-year point guard Russell Westbrook started every game for the Thunder, averaging 16.1 points, 8.0 assists and 4.9 rebounds with just 3.3 turnovers a game. Forward Jeff Green scored 15.1 points per game, and rookie guard James Harden played in 76 games and finished fourth on the team in scoring at 9.9 points.

The Bottom Line

The Thunder might steal a game in this one, but expect the Lakers to roll. Their savvy veteran players have been here before, and although the Thunder have a great deal of talent, the playoffs are all about experience.

Sources:
Oklahoma City Thunder, ESPN
Los Angeles Lakers, ESPN
2009-10 Lakers Regular Statistics, NBA
2009-10 Thunder Regular Statistics, NBA