OKLAHOMA CITY — The Lakers suffered a 108-90 defeat to the Thunder on Tuesday at Paycom Center in Game 1, though their execution of the game plan was imperfect at best.
Still, they showed promise against the reigning NBA champions.
They managed to throw off Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring rhythm with various defensive strategies.
While they had 18 live ball turnovers, they minimized the damage, allowing only 20 points from those mistakes.
Despite some positives, it wasn’t sufficient for a victory. The team found it hard to maintain an effective offensive flow during much of the second half. Coach JJ Redick opted to bench key players with 1:45 left in the game, trailing 105-87.
In the first half, the Lakers put up 53 points, but that dropped to just 37 in the second.
LeBron James led the team with 27 points on an impressive 12-of-17 shooting, along with six assists and four rebounds.
Rui Hachimura contributed 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting, while Deandre Ayton tallied a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Yet, the overall offense struggled for significant stretches.
Austin Reeves had a tough game, scoring only 8 points on 3-of-16 shooting, while Marcus Smart added 12 points on 4-of-15 shooting.
The bench also didn’t provide much support, scoring just 15 points, compared to the Thunder’s 34.
Chet Holmgren led the Thunder with a double-double of 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell each scored 18 points.
what it means
With this loss, the Lakers now find themselves down 0-1 in the second round of the playoffs.
This marks the fourth game this season where the Thunder have lost by at least 18 points.
turning point
A critical moment came when the Thunder seized a 7-0 lead after the Lakers managed to narrow the gap to four points in the third quarter.
Gilgeous-Alexander initiated the Thunder’s scoring run with a jumper, followed by several missed three-point attempts from Reeves and Smart, which halted the Lakers’ momentum. Lou Dort then hit a three-pointer following a turnover by Jackson Hayes.
After another turnover by Reeves, Cason Wallace scored a layup to extend the Thunder’s lead to 76-65, prompting Redick to call a timeout at 4:35.
From that point, the Lakers trailed by at least eight points for the remainder of the game.
MVP: Chet Holmgren
Even though Gilgeous-Alexander had an unusually challenging game with seven turnovers, Holmgren picked up the slack. He was effective at both finishing plays and maintaining a strong presence near the basket.
Holmgren led the Thunder in scoring during the first quarter, notching nine points and finishing with 18 by halftime, assisting the team to a 61-53 advantage as they entered the third quarter.
Game status: 41.7%
This figure represents the Lakers’ field goal percentage against the Thunder, highlighting their offensive hurdles.
to the next
The Lakers and Thunder will face off again on Thursday in Game 2 of their playoff series at Paycom Center, scheduled to start at 6:30 PM PT.
