The Oklahoma City Thunder made a strong statement in the opening matchup of their Western Conference semifinal series, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 108-90.
The Thunder put an end to LeBron James’ impressive run, as the 41-year-old superstar scored 27 points on 71% shooting (12-of-17), along with four rebounds and six assists. Despite his effort, the Lakers struggled offensively, lacking depth beyond their aging leader.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander posted just 18 points, his lowest scoring output of the season, but the defending champions faced little trouble overcoming the Lakers. Chet Holmgren stepped up with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Ajay Mitchell added 18 points for Oklahoma City.
The Lakers started the game strong at the Paycom Center, with LeBron scoring 10 of their first 16 points. However, the Thunder quickly took control and never looked back. Oklahoma City, the top seed in the West, remains undefeated in these playoffs after sweeping the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
Austin Reaves, the other key piece of the Lakers’ star trio, continued to struggle in the playoffs, scoring just a few points on an abysmal 3-of-16 shooting night. Additionally, forward Jared Vanderbilt left the game in the second quarter after dislocating his right pinky finger, potentially sidelining him for the rest of the series.
“We were a little imprecise, a bit rusty, but offensively we just kept pushing,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, praising his team’s defense that held the Lakers to their lowest playoff scoring output since 2021. “We just try to take people out of their comfort zone, simple as that.”
The Thunder dominated the Lakers in all four regular-season meetings by an average margin of 29.3 points, and this victory continues their dominance. The series now shifts to Los Angeles for Game 2, where the Lakers will look to bounce back.