The reigning NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, dominated the Los Angeles Lakers at the Crypto.com Arena on Saturday, securing a commanding 131-108 victory. With this win, they took a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals, leaving them just one win away from advancing.
Despite trailing by two points at halftime, the Thunder delivered an extraordinary second half, outscoring the Lakers 74-49. Their depth was on full display, even on a night when star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shot an uncharacteristic 7-of-20 from the field, finishing with 23 points and nine assists.
Ajay Mitchell was a key factor, scoring 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting. Chet Holmgren added 18 points and nine rebounds, while Cason Wallace chipped in 16 points. Isaiah Joe and Isaiah Hartenstein each scored 12, and Luguentz Dort contributed 10 points.
Oklahoma City has now won seven straight playoff games, a feat not seen in the NBA since the 2017 Cleveland Cavaliers. The Thunder will have their first chance to close out the series on Monday, again in Los Angeles, facing a Lakers team that needs a historic comeback—no team has ever rallied from a 3-0 deficit in NBA history.
The Lakers once again missed star Luka Doncic, the league’s leading scorer during the regular season (33.5 points per game), who remains sidelined since April with a hamstring injury. Doncic watched from the bench as the Thunder controlled both ends of the floor.
Without Doncic, Los Angeles managed to stay competitive for two quarters, thanks in large part to their three-point shooting. They hit 11-of-20 from beyond the arc in the first half, with Rui Hachimura (4-of-4) and Luke Kennard (3-of-4) leading the way. The Lakers took a 59-57 lead into the locker room, but the Thunder turned the game into a basketball clinic in the second half.
Oklahoma City shot 61% from the field and committed just three turnovers, with two occurring in the final minutes when both teams had already emptied their benches.
Hachimura led the Lakers with 21 points. LeBron James finished with 19 points, six rebounds, and eight assists, while Austin Reaves managed 17 points on 5-of-13 shooting.
The Thunder are now one step away from the Western Conference Finals, where they would face the winner of the series between the San Antonio Spurs and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
