A second-round matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder is going to send some uneasy feelings into the pit of stomachs for all those supporting the Los Angeles Lakers. Luckily for the Lakers, at least the Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors helped them with some extra time off ahead of the looming clash.
The Athletic's Law Murray recently shared what the NBA's plans were for Game 1 of the series between Los Angeles and Oklahoma City. This head-to-head easily could have started on Sunday, had the perfect set of circumstances not worked out in the Lakers' favor.
Instead of May 3 being the date for the first clash in the second round between the Lakers and Thunder, it will be pushed back to May 5. With Los Angeles' series against the Houston Rockets ending in six games, plus the Pistons and Raptors both winning their respective Game 6s, all the needed triggers hit for LA versus OKC to be set for the later start.
Had things shaken out just a little differently, the Lakers would not have three days off before their next contest. For a team working through injuries, that means a great deal to Los Angeles.
Lakers' bonus time off makes a Thunder upset more feasible than before
Let's keep it a buck: the Thunder will be the overwhelming favorites to knock out the Lakers in the second round. The hope will be found with the fact that no one really expected Los Angeles to beat Houston either.
Granted, the Thunder are not the Rockets. They are a well-oiled machine who, even with Jalen Williams missing time, are going to be a force to try and hold down.
At least the added rest will allow Austin Reaves to lick his wounds a bit. After looking rusty in Game 5, Reaves started to turn it on in Game 6. Having returned from his grade 2 oblique strain, the Lakers guard will get an opportunity for his body to cool off a bit before Tuesday's Game 1 clash.
Starting the series later also means the Lakers might get to see Luka Doncic at some point. The messaging around the timing of his expected return has been all sorts of confusing. The latest from Shams Charania had Doncic missing the start of the Thunder series. Perhaps having the start date happen later could open the door for Luka to be back mid-series.
For the Lakers to have a puncher's chance against the Thunder, they will need both Doncic and Reaves available. The Pistons' incredible second-half comeback in Game 6 against the Orlando Magic, and RJ Barrett's fortunate bounce on the game winner for the Raptors' Game 6 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, helped make that just a bit more possible.
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