The defending champion Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder continued their undefeated run within the playoffs.
Ajay Mitchell completed with 20 factors, and the top-seeded Thunder defeated the No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers 125-107 in Recreation 2 at Paycom Heart on Thursday night time to take a 2-0 lead within the Western Convention semifinal collection.
The Thunder have received all six of their postseason video games, 4 with out All-Star Jalen Williams (hamstring). They haven’t wanted him with the way in which Mitchell has performed in Williams’ place within the beginning lineup. Mitchell has averaged 18.7 factors within the final 4 video games.
The Lakers performed with out Luka Dončić, who’s unlikely to play within the collection due to a Grade 2 left hamstring harm he suffered on April 2 that can take eight weeks to get well.
Chet Holmgren had 22 factors, 9 rebounds, 4 steals and two blocks for the Thunder, whereas Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 22 factors.
After a LeBron James basket obtained the Lakers inside 99-94 with 7:36 left within the sport, the Thunder went on a 12-1 run. Holmgren, Cason Wallace and Gilgeous-Alexander every hit a 3-pointer.
Austin Reaves, who led the Lakers with 31 factors, went down onerous with 10:34 left within the third quarter, 26 seconds after giving the Lakers a 63-61 lead. He obtained tied up whereas defending Gilgeous-Alexander, who was referred to as for a flagrant 1 foul, his fourth foul of the sport. Alex Caruso additionally obtained a technical, and Reaves stayed in, making the technical free throw and each flagrant free throws to place the Lakers up 5, their greatest benefit.
However the Thunder closed out the third quarter on a 23-9 run and took a 93-80 lead into the ultimate 12 minutes. Throughout the spurt, Jaylin Williams had a 4-point play and Jared McCain (18 factors) hit two 3s.
James had 23 factors for the Lakers, who will host Recreation 3 on Saturday. Rui Hachimura had 16 factors.
Listed here are our Recreation 2 takeaways from Oklahoma Metropolis:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who?
Recreation 2 of this collection, whereas wrapped partly by SGA, was received by nearly everybody else. After the famous person picked up his fourth foul with 10:34 remaining within the third, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault had little selection however to take a seat him. He ended up doing so for the rest of the quarter, largely as a result of the non-Shai minutes have been simply too good.
The Thunder adopted with a 25-8 run, getting just a little little bit of every little thing from everybody. Ajay Mitchell did an SGA impression, ruthlessly attacking the rim and making an attempt six free throws within the quarter. Alex Caruso was as disruptive as ever. Jared McCain drilled a pair of 3s and swooned the group. What as soon as was a back-and-forth of lead modifications became OKC’s largest lead of the night time.
And on this uncommon event, Gilgeous-Alexander performed no half. — Joel Lorenzi, Thunder author
Austin Reaves responds
For all of the discuss Austin Reaves not being prepared for the second, the Lakers guard had the highest-scoring playoff sport of his profession. His 31 factors offered the offensive punch the Lakers didn’t have in Recreation 1. The protection, although, wasn’t almost as efficient. For the second-straight sport, the Lakers’ plan for holding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander largely labored. The price of that technique, although, was open shooters and offensive rebounding alternatives, and the Thunder made them pay. Because the collection shifts again to Los Angeles, the Lakers will want extra performances like this from Reaves. In Recreation 2, he confirmed he’s able to delivering one. — Dan Woike, Lakers author
The way it unraveled
This collection was all the time going to be a battle over officiating: the lobbying, the acknowledgement of expertise, the must be bodily, however be good, and every little thing that comes with it.
The tone was set for this sport after two Austin Reaves makes an attempt attempting to attract fouls within the first quarter (a wayward 3-point shot, then a tumble out of bounds throughout a live-ball turnover). JJ Redick referred to as a timeout, blew up Ben Taylor for a technical foul with the Lakers dealing with their first double-digit deficit, after which watched his workforce shut the quarter on a 7-0 run.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander spent a lot of the primary three quarters in foul hassle. His third foul happened simply because the Lakers erased Oklahoma Metropolis’s 11-point deficit within the second quarter, and with Gilgeous-Alexander sitting on solely 3 subject objectives. The Lakers took a 58-57 lead into halftime.
Essentially the most vital sequence of the sport occurred within the third quarter, after Gilgeous-Alexander’s fourth foul got here with a Flagrant Foul drawn by Reaves. Maybe the emotional meter modified on that sequence, as a result of Alex Caruso obtained a tech from the bench and Mark Daigneault blew a problem and a timeout on Gilgeous-Alexander’s fourth foul. Gilgeous-Alexander obtained despatched to the bench, Reaves made three free throws, and the Lakers led 66-61 with 10:34 left within the third quarter.
The truth that it was all downhill for the Lakers from there represents their greatest missed alternative. The Thunder wound up mopping the ground with the Lakers, each with out Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench and when Gilgeous-Alexander got here again for the fourth quarter. Maybe the Lakers will probably be extra even-keeled after they return to Los Angeles, however they’d their alternative, and as a substitute Oklahoma Metropolis will take a 2-0 lead with the Thunder rolling. — Legislation Murray, NBA author