The Oklahoma City Thunder have taken a commanding 3-0 series lead and will remain in Los Angeles tonight as they attempt to finish the sweep against the Lakers. Luka Doncic is still not set to return, and the Thunder are making a statement on their intention to repeat as NBA Champions.

You can check out the full preview and prediction for the series on DraftKings Network here.

Looking at the odds for Game 4, the Thunder enter as an 11.5-point favorite and hold -520 odds of winning outright on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Lakers hold +390 odds of winning outright with the game total set at 214.5 points.

Thunder at Lakers preview

On a broader scale, the Lakers have largely maximized their talent more than seemed possible given the roster limitations. Los Angeles finished the season with a 53-29 overall record to earn the fourth seed in the Western Conference across the regular season. The Lakers defeated the Rockets in six games in the opening round to earn this matchup with the defending champions, who have comfortably looked like the better team. With Luka Doncic’s hamstring issues keeping him sidelined, the outlook is getting bleak for Los Angeles. Overall, the Lakers have gone 50-41 against the spread this season, and the game total is 45-46 in favor of the over/under. 

Doncic is the only player on the Lakers’ injury report, with Jarred Vanderbilt removed after his gruesome finger injury that occurred in Game 1. Vanderbilt has been sidelined in Games 1 and 2, but the expectation is that he will give it a go tonight following the right finger dislocation. LeBron James continues to headline the production for the Lakers, posting averages of 23.1 points, 7.8 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game across the postseason. Austin Reaves has made his return for the past five games, posting averages of 18.6 points, 5.8 assists, and 3.4 rebounds since returning. Marcus Smart, Deandre Ayton, Rui Hachimura, and Luke Kennard each also play major roles.

Los Angeles leans on an offensive-minded style of play for its success. It finished the regular season ranked 11th in scoring, ninth in offensive rating, 11th in opponent points allowed, and 19th in defensive rating.

The Oklahoma City Thunder got over the championship hump last year and are proving their timeline for success is far from over. They are off to a perfect 7-0 start to the postseason after finishing the regular season with an NBA-best 64-18 record. Oklahoma City swept the Phoenix Suns in the opening round and has gone 44-45 against the spread, and the game total is 48-41 to the over/under on the full season.

Jalen Williams remains sidelined with his hamstring strain for the Thunder. It has not tripped up Oklahoma City just yet, but Williams was a crucial part of last year’s championship run. He has battled injuries all season and failed to look like the best version of himself for any extended stretch, and the Thunder will hope this changes for the final playoff push. Thomas Sorber is the lone other player sidelined as he continues to recover from his ACL tear.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to headline the production, posting averages of 28.3 points, 7.0 assists, and 3.3 rebounds across the postseason. Chet Holmgren has improved his output, posting averages of 19.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game across the first seven playoff games. Ajay Mitchell has seen his role scaled up amid Williams’ injury, while Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe, and Jared McCain each make their impact felt.

The Thunder closed the regular season ranked fifth in the NBA in scoring. Oklahoma City also ranks seventh in offensive rating, fifth in field-goal percentage, and ninth in three-point percentage. Defensively, the Thunder rank second in opponent points per game, first in defensive rating, first in opponent field-goal percentage, and 25th in opponent three-point percentage.

Series Takeaways

The Thunder have leaped out to a 3-0 series lead in fairly dominant fashion.

They tallied a 108-90 victory in Game 1, covering the 15.5-point spread. Oklahoma City led for 79% of the matchup, extended the lead to as many as 21, and limited the Lakers to 41% shooting and 33% from beyond the three-point arc. Austin Reaves was limited to 3-for-16 shooting and missed all five of his three-point attempts.

In the second matchup, Oklahoma City produced a 125-107 win. The defending champions led for 80% of the matchup and pushed the lead to as large as 20 to ultimately cover the 16.5-point spread. Los Angeles shot 50% from the floor and 38% from the perimeter, but it did not bring the same defensive effort it showed in Game 1.

It felt as if Game 3 was the Lakers’ best chance to steal a matchup with the series returning home. Los Angeles kept the game competitive for the first half, but Oklahoma City burst the game open in the second half once again, outscoring the Lakers 74-49 in the second half. Oklahoma City led for 84% of the matchup, and comfortably covered the spread in a 131-108 win.

While there is no ignoring the 3-0 series hole and the 54 points that the Thunder have outscored the Lakers by, there has been a pulse on this Los Angeles team. However, any team that plays this Thunder team must keep its foot on the gas for all 48 minutes, and the Lakers have been incapable of doing this for a full matchup.

Thunder at Lakers Game 4 prediction, pick

It is time to get out the brooms.

This is a flawed Lakers’ roster that has been covered up by the offensive brilliance of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves. With Doncic sidelined due to injury, this level of shield has not been enough. This is especially notable when contrasted against a deep team like the Thunder. Oklahoma City has players deep in their rotation that would be in line for major NBA minutes on most teams, and these X-factor players have been the difference in ensuring their production level never slips.

The Thunder are capable of going on a run at any point that can break the game completely open. This has been the story of the series, and expect more of the same tonight. The Lakers have been able to keep within striking distance for a bulk of the gameplay, but cannot match the Thunder’s top-end defensive output and depth for the full 48 minutes.

Expect some life out of the Lakers in the early stages of this game, but for things to come unraveled in the second half once again. There is no answer for the level of depth Oklahoma City possesses, and this will be the difference tonight. The Thunder are 3-0 against the spread in the opening three games of this series, and expect tonight to continue with this trend.

Best Bet: Thunder -11.5 (-105)