Lakers vs Thunder Preview: End of the Road
Kobe Bryant will play the final road game of his career on Monday as the Lakers travel to face the Thunder
Two games. Three days. 96 minutes from buzzer-to-buzzer. That’s how long Kobe Bryant has left with the Los Angeles Lakers and in the NBA before one of the greatest to ever do it hangs them up for the final time. On Monday night, Bryant and the Lakers will travel to the Chesapeake Energy Arena to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in what will be Kobe’s final road game of his career.
No one can remotely deny the fact that the Lakers 2015-16 season and the Kobe Farewell Tour has been an idiosyncratic, frustrating affair from the jump and all the way up to this point. However, it’s been coming to a fitting end. The Lakers have continued to lose to wrap up the year, but Bryant has fought like hell to try and go out with a bang and to try and carry his team to just a few more moments in the sun under his watch.
It’s more than a bit poetic that Kobe’s last road game would come against Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook in the Thunder as well. With Durant hitting free agency in the summer of 2016 and with Westbrook going on the market the following summer. With the Lakers rebuilding and in need of a superstar to fill the shoes of a retiring Bryant, both guys will be in the crosshairs of the Lakers front office when it comes to shopping in free agency.
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That being said, the result on Monday night should be less than poetic as the most realistic possible outcome seems to be Kobe’s final game on the road ending on a sour note. Sure, fans could see Bryant put on his cape and try to be a hero again; or fans could see the likes of D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson, or Julius Randle look to take the torch from Kobe over these final two games. However, Westbrook and Durant are just a bit too formidable for that to be the expected result.
There are just two games left in the career of Kobe Bryant with the Lakers—it’s a shame that the Thunder will likely kick him and this team in the rear on their way back home as they hit the road for the final time with the Black Mamba.
Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder
Date: Monday, April 11
Start Time: 5 p.m. PT
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Arena: Chesapeake Energy Arena
TV Info: TWC Sportsnet
Live Stream: NBA League Pass
Radio: Here
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Thunder -16
Moneyline: Thunder -5000, Lakers +1500
O/U: 217.5
Injury Report
Los Angeles Lakers: Brandon Bass—Out, Anthony Brown (foot)—Out, Kobe Bryant (shoulder)—Questionable, Larry Nance Jr. (knee)—Questionable, Lou Williams—Out
Oklahoma City Thunder: Mitch McGary (personal)—Out
Next: WATCH: Kobe, Michael B. Jordan Star in Epic Apple TV Ad
Prediction
The Lakers have already lost 64 games this season, so why not just be optimistic as hell to finish up the year? Kobe Bryant scores 50 points, hits a game-winner as time expires, and the Lakers beat the Thunder. Why not!?