Thunder at Lakers: Pregame Primer

vs.

Okla. City Thunder (50-32, 23-18 road) at LA Lakers (57-25, 34-7 home)

TV: ABC (Cox 8, HD 705)
Stream: Click  here
Radio: WWLS The Sports  Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 2:00 CDT

Series: Tied 0-0

View from the enemy: Forum Blue and Gold

I think we all know the importance of Game 1. And not so much to just win it, but to play well. At times this year in big games and big moments, Oklahoma City has looked a bit shellshocked (at Denver anyone?). And you know that they’re nervous and anxious to play this one. The Thunder have a totally different feeling in their stomachs than the Lakers do.

Winning Game 1 would totally turn the series on its head and give OKC homecourt advantage. But it’s not a must-win. I think coming back 0-2 would be bad, but more than anything, the Thunder needs to walk into Staples today, on national TV with EVERYONE watching, and play their game and play it well. If that’s enough to win, awesome. If not, so be it.

This is the game we’ve all been waiting for and didn’t think we’d get to see until at least next year. But it’s here and OKC is in the playoffs. Of course you play to win and you don’t want to settle for just being here, but still, it’s pretty cool that we get to watch another game today.

Winning Game 1 would be huge. Or as Al Eschbach would say, it would be yooge. Just yoooooge. A fun stat: In NBA history, the team that wins the first game of a best-of-seven series wins that series 78.8 percent of the time. That’s good to know. It’s time to do this. Is it 2:30 yet?

Tip at 2:00