Lakers vs. Thunder, Game 4: Pregame Primer

Royce Young -

vs.

LA Lakers (2-1, 0-1 road) vs. Okla. City Thunder (1-2, 1-0 home)

TV: ESPN (Cox 29, HD 720)
Stream: Click  here
Radio: WWLS The Sports  Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 8:30 CDT

Series: Lakers lead 2-1

View from the enemy: Forum Blue and Gold

The celebration is over. The emotion is out. The big moment for this city and this state have passed. Now it’s about winning another basketball game. It’s going to be hard to get over what happened on Thursday night. I know I’m having trouble. I’ve watched the game twice already on my DVR. I can’t get over it. I  hope the team can. It’s almost like we forgot you had to play more  games. The crowd will be loud and proud again. I don’t think it will  affect OKC in a negative way. Now it’s not about cheering because of the  moment, it will be about cheering because we want to influence the  outcome of a basketball game.

Game 4 will be huge test of the Thunder’s mental fortitude. Can they forget about what they did to the defending champs and come out and play ball? Will they be able to absorb the punch the Lakers are sure to throw because they want blood now? These are questions we’ll obviously find answers to in a bit, but things that are concerns now.

I don’t know if the Ford Center will be able to duplicate the atmosphere from Thursday. I mean, that was… something. I spent yesterday trying to recover and come down from that high and I don’t think I’m there. I’m not mentally prepared for tonight. Us Thunder fans aren’t used to the playoffs. They are draining, man. One BIG game after another. It’s exhausting. But the Ford Center needs to bring it again tonight. And I think OKC will respond much better early because all the fanfare is out of the way. They’re reading for the energy they’re going to get and they’ll feed off it, hopefully much in the same way they did in the fourth quarter.

This game is pivotal. A win means we can start getting serious about this thing. A loss and we’re back to hanging on by a thread as the team makes the Dead Man Walking flight back to LA for possible execution. This is big time.

Tip at 8:30 CDT. Go Louder City.