LeBron James-led teams have been favored more often than not throughout his storied 23-year career, and it's typically an insignificant spread when he is an underdog. However, the Lakers are 15.5-point road 'dogs against the Thunder in Tuesday's Game 1 of their second-round series, which would be the largest margin James has ever faced in any regular-season or playoff game, according to Yahoo Sports' Ben Fawkes.
Oddsmakers have been skeptical of Los Angeles since Luka Doncic suffered a hamstring injury. The Lakers were massive series underdogs against the Rockets in Round 1 but pulled off the upset to set up a matchup against the defending champs. Although Austin Reaves' return last week slightly boosted the offense, the team's scoring concerns remain against Oklahoma City's league-best defense. The Thunder are -2000 to win the series on theScore Bet, while the Lakers are +1000.
Los Angeles failed to score 100 points in its last three games against the Rockets. Houston couldn't capitalize against a disoriented offense, but Oklahoma City has the best offensive rating this postseason. While Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard have excelled at times in increased roles, neither has the scoring or creation ability to overcome the Thunder's hounding perimeter defenders. James averaging 23.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 8.3 assists in 38.7 minutes per playoff game at age 41 is also incredible, yet even he can't turn back the clock enough to carry this squad past OKC.
The biggest concern for Los Angeles is its league-worst turnover rate this postseason. The Thunder ranked second in the NBA in opponent turnover rate during the regular season, using relentless ball pressure to turn defense into offense. If Oklahoma City forces a flurry of turnovers, Game 1 - and the series - might get out of hand.
The Thunder haven't missed a beat on either end since Jalen Williams' hamstring injury, sweeping their opening-round series against the Suns by an average margin of victory of 17.3 points. Maybe Doncic can return at some point to flip this series on its head, but his timeline is still unclear. For now, James is in unfamiliar territory, though it wouldn't be the first time he's pulled off the improbable.
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