LOS ANGELES — The Lakers don’t have the luxury of dwelling on their loss to the Thunder, as they face the Spurs the following night. Matches against the defending champions often serve as a benchmark for their title aspirations.
Last April, a blowout win and a tight loss to the Thunder demonstrated the high-level talent the Lakers possess. They can indeed compete and win if they’re focused.
However, their earlier blowout loss to Oklahoma City this season, where they played without LeBron James and the Thunder were missing Jaylen Williams, highlighted a lack of physicality and energy needed to contend with top teams like the Thunder.
After the loss on Monday—where the Lakers were without Luka Doncic and the Thunder missed MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander—questions arose about what was learned.
James conveyed a clear perspective: “That’s a championship team,” he said, adding a hesitant “it’s not” as he noted the discrepancies between the teams.
His comments resonated, especially since he had been asked about the gaps between his team and the Thunder.
LeBron elaborated, stating, “We can’t sustain energy and effort for 48 minutes, but they can do it. That’s why they won the championship.”
During the game, the Lakers managed to take an eight-point lead in the third quarter after trailing by 14 in the second. Yet, they struggled to secure critical rebounds late in the game, allowing the Thunder to score 11 second-chance points from four offensive rebounds.
Sometimes, you have to stick to basic defensive principles. Or perhaps run their offense in a way that helps them gain an edge throughout the game.
Coach JJ Reddick mentioned, “When you face top teams like Oklahoma City, you need exceptionally high levels of effort and execution.” He acknowledged the team’s effort was commendable but pinpointed execution issues, particularly on defense, saying, “Some of it was getting LeBron the ball, and we just didn’t execute effectively.”
Post-game, it was evident that fatigue had taken its toll on the Lakers, with many players looking visibly drained in the locker room.
This loss illuminated the small yet significant gap remaining that holds the Lakers back from being true contenders. But there’s a sense of progression. Marcus Smart remarked, “We still have a way to go, but we’re on the right path. The urgency and fight we showed were commendable until the last moments. It’s a solid measuring stick for us. We just need to tighten a few things up, and I think we’ll be okay.”
