Inside the Second-Round Secrets: Which Underdog Will Shock the NBA Playoffs Next?
Western Conference Second Round
No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder (64-18) vs. No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers (53-29)
Thunder’s Path To Success: In one of the most competitive first rounds in recent vintage, OKC was the only team to post a four-game sweep. That helps make it abundantly clear this is the Thunder’s title to win (40.9% chance of repeating as NBA champions – twice as high as the next-highest team). The Lakers, especially if short-handed, don’t pose much of a threat to them. The only way the Thunder can really be made mortal is if they allow the Lakers to bog down their offensive process and force them into uninspired halfcourt possessions that feature little ball movement. The key stat to monitor here is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s assists. Last postseason, the Thunder were 14-4 when the star point guard had five or more assists and 2-3 when he failed to eclipse this total. In this year’s first-round dispatching of the Phoenix Suns, the reigning MVP averaged 8.0 APG.



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