The Los Angeles Lakers battled the Oklahoma City Thunder on equal footing for 40 minutes on Thursday, but ultimately suffered their second consecutive loss in the NBA Western Conference semifinals (2-0), falling 125-107.
Pride was on display, yet it wasn’t enough to topple the reigning champions. The game unfolded almost perfectly for the Lakers: they shot brilliantly in the first half, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled with foul trouble, finding it hard to get into rhythm.
Ironically, the Thunder broke the game open while their star sat on the bench, shortly after being called for his fourth personal foul just a minute and a half into the third quarter. A 21-5 run put Oklahoma up by 11 (85-74), and although LeBron James led several comeback attempts in the fourth quarter, the Lakers couldn’t complete the feat. Turnovers (20) and several missed open shots at crucial moments doomed what seemed like the Lakers’ best chance to pull off an upset.
In the absence of Luka Doncic, who has now been sidelined for five weeks, Austin Reaves (31 points, 10-of-16 shooting) and James (23 points, 9-of-18 shooting, 6 assists) once again carried the load, supported by a sharp Rui Hachimura, who finished with 16 points.
The final +18 margin contrasted sharply with the flow of most of the game, during which the Lakers led by as many as several points.
The Lakers went into halftime ahead (57-58), fueled by 50% shooting from the field and 40% from beyond the arc, after weathering an initial 11-0 run by the Thunder that put them up 27-15 early in the first quarter.
Chet Holmgren, who finished with 22 points and 9 rebounds, dominated in the third quarter, and with Ajay Mitchell scoring 20 points, Oklahoma took a lead they would never relinquish. The reigning MVP didn’t need to play in the third quarter for the hosts to build their advantage, and after resting, he scored nine points in the final period to seal the game. Gilgeous-Alexander, much like in Game 1, was more grounded, entering the fourth quarter with only 13 points but finishing with 22 on 7-of-13 shooting.
The Thunder’s victory marked their sixth straight playoff win after sweeping the Phoenix Suns in the first round. But Thursday’s game was arguably the toughest, despite Oklahoma shooting 55% from the field and 39% from three-point range, barely edging out the Lakers’ 50% shooting and 38% from deep. The series now shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Saturday. The Thunder have won all six games this season against the Lakers, by an average margin of nearly 30 points.
