{"id":725309,"date":"2026-05-04T08:51:23","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T08:51:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/725309\/"},"modified":"2026-05-04T08:51:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T08:51:23","slug":"lakers-jake-laravia-shows-zero-fear-of-facing-thunder-in-2nd-round","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/725309\/","title":{"rendered":"Lakers\u2019 Jake LaRavia shows zero fear of facing Thunder in 2nd round"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lakers\u2019 Jake LaRavia shows zero fear of facing Thunder in 2nd round<\/a> appeared first on ClutchPoints<\/a>. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> forward Jake LaRavia<\/a> is taking on a fearess approach to Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a>. JJ Redick<\/a> says the Thunder is one of the greatest<\/a> NBA teams in recent history, stacking them on the plateau as the Michael Jordan last three championship-run with the Chicago Bulls<\/a>, and Stephen Curry<\/a> and the Golden State Warriors<\/a> in their heyday.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

For LaRavia, respect is one thing<\/a>, but fear can\u2019t be the kind of feeling the Lakers carry into the series opener on Tuesday, he said, per The California Post\u2019s Michael Duarte.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of us on this team have been underdogs in life, especially in our journey with basketball,\u201d LaRavia said. \u201cIt\u2019s not really something we look at or really care about. We\u2019re coming in to compete. We\u2019re coming in to win a series.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jake LaRavia knows the odds are stacked against the Lakers. However, it won\u2019t dwindle his confidence heading into a second-round series against the defending champions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re coming into any game, regular season or playoffs, you can respect a team, but you can\u2019t fear them,\u201d LaRavia added. \u201cYou can\u2019t come into the game fearing the opponent. You\u2019re just going to come in and get punked. We respect how good this team is, but our goal is to win. Win the games and win the series. Our mindset stays the same when it comes to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a> and the Thunder, the only NBA team to finish their first-round series in a 4-0 sweep, eliminated the Phoenix Suns<\/a> in Game 4 last week.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

JJ Redick\u2019s honest take on Thunder\u2019s greatness ahead of series\"Troy<\/p>\n

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Lakers head coach JJ Redick gave the Thunder its flowers<\/a> for its dominant run as defending champions. Ahead of the Lakers\u2019 second-round series, Redick recognized the Thunder its incredible run<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Thunder is one of the greatest teams ever in NBA history,\u201d Redick said. \u201cThat\u2019s just the reality. They\u2019re that good. I think our guys recognize that and respect that, and we know what kind of task we have in front of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Thunder will host the Lakers for Game 1 at the Paycom Center on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Related: Lakers insider stresses JJ Redick deserves more credit for series win vs. Rockets<\/a><\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

Related: Exclusive: How Drew Timme made the most of Lakers opportunity<\/a><\/p>\n