LeBron James, facing the Thunder
Photo by JOSHUA GATELEY / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP
The Oklahoma City Thunder withstood the Los Angeles Lakers’ resistance on Thursday, securing a 125-107 victory to take a 2-0 lead in this NBA Western Conference semifinal series.
The defending champions, who also swept the four regular-season meetings against the Lakers, now have a chance to close out the series in Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday in Los Angeles.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, though again below his usual standard with 22 points, saw the rest of Oklahoma City’s arsenal step up to contain a Lakers offense hampered by Luka Doncic’s injury.
LeBron James became the first player to appear in 300 playoff games, finishing with 23 points and 6 assists. Shooting guard Austin Reaves erupted for a postseason career-high 31 points.
Game Statistics
Together, they made the Lakers—after being blown out on Tuesday—competitive for much of the night against the heavy championship favorites.
Los Angeles had its best opportunity of the series when it led by five points in the third quarter and Gilgeous-Alexander was forced to the bench due to foul trouble. Just as they looked to extend the lead, the Lakers were overwhelmed by a 22-5 run sparked by Thunder role players: Ajay Mitchell (20 points), Jared McCain (18), and Jaylin Williams (7).
Center Chet Holmgren, with 22 points and 9 rebounds, again dominated the paint battle over DeAndre Ayton, who managed only 3 points and 10 rebounds.
Oklahoma City, which has never lost a series after going up 2-0, remains undefeated this postseason after sweeping the Phoenix Suns in four games.
“We have to be aggressive—attack with more intensity, make quicker decisions, and play with a greater sense of urgency, especially in the first half,” said Gilgeous-Alexander about the upcoming games. “As long as we take care of that, we should be heading in the right direction.”
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American sports, Basketball, NBA, LeBron James, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder