The last two times the Los Angeles Lakers faced the defending champions, they suffered multiple injuries to two core players, back-to-back blowout losses, and a grueling physical matchup. Almost everyone is expecting this series to go similarly mostly because of the borderline-dangerous defensive tactics of Oklahoma City Thunder guard, Luguentz Dort. Leave it to the Lakers veterans to come up with some solutions to help LeBron James & Co. The table at Spectrum SportsNet with Robert Horry and James Worthy had their own input about tackling the formidable aggression of Lu Dort.

The 7x NBA champion Robert Horry warned the Lakers about the well-known fact about the tough challenge that the Thunder players like Dort and Alex Caruso present. “You got to understand, like, this team right here: you got Lu Dort, that is how they go. Then you got Caruso who comes off the—those are the top dogs defensively,” Horry explained.

But he also had to emphasize Dort’s critical role in OKC’s defensive identity by outrightly labeling the guard as a player who consistently flirts with the line of acceptable physicality. “​But the thing about them is you got to go to the ref and say, ‘Yo, watch his hand check.’ We all know Lu Dort is a little close to the dirty side. Yes. So you got to go out and just go out and just play and not worry about that and go to the refs and say, ‘Yo, watch it, man. You know, this is a playoff. All eyes are watching you guys. So what you call on that end, you better make sure you call it for us, too, because that’s the right thing to do.'”

Horry’s suggesting a pragmatic approach to combat Dort’s aggressive, hands-on approach as an enforcer. What made it a little entertaining is James Worthy’s funny demonstration on how the Lakers should react to a hand check.

Robert Horry wants Lakers to divert attention from Lu Dort to referees

Robert Horry, who played in the Shaq & Kobe era in LA, is very bluntly touching a a huge debate surrounding the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder and their premier enforcer. Luguentz Dort has established himself as one of the most feared lockdown defenders in the NBA, but his reputation has repeatedly been called into question due to questionable incidents.

The “dirty” label has followed him closely in recent weeks, notably after an incident against the Phoenix Suns where Dort was accused of tripping superstar Devin Booker, sending him briefly to the locker room. Earlier in the year, Dort was also ejected for a flagrant foul after tripping Nikola Jokic, sparking a fiery on-court altercation and drawing criticisms from players and fans alike who claim he utilizes reckless tactics to gain an edge.

For the Lakers and their unstable defense, navigating Dort’s physical brand of defense is the primary challenge in this Western Conference clash. The solution, according to Horry, is not to retaliate by matching his energy, but to engage in psychological warfare with the officiating crew.

By constantly reminding the referees of Dort’s tendency to “hand check” and push the limits of permissible defense, the Lakers can pressure the whistleblowers to maintain a tight game. As the series intensifies, whether the referees heed Horry’s advice and keep a close eye on the Thunder’s enforcer could very well dictate which team controls the tempo of these high-stakes playoff games.