As March 2023 wore on, the Los Angeles Lakers were slowly but surely climbing the Western Conference standings. However, they were having trouble getting to .500, and time was running out for them to qualify for the NBA playoffs.
On March 24, they faced the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team they were tied with in the standings. The Thunder were an overachieving young squad led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished fourth in scoring despite being a 6-foot-6 beanstalk.
