The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder turned a decisive third quarter right into a 131-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night time and a 3-0 lead within the Western Convention semifinals.
After trailing by two factors at halftime, the Thunder outclassed the Lakers within the third quarter at Crypto.com Enviornment in Los Angeles. The Thunder shot 59 % from the sphere and rode a 14-0 benefit in factors off turnovers within the third to forge a 90-79 lead heading into the fourth.
The Lakers shot 36 % from the sphere within the third quarter. Austin Reaves, who missed his solely shot, dedicated three of the Lakers’ six turnovers within the third.
Ajay Mitchell led the Thunder with a career-playoff-high 24 factors, 18 of them after halftime, and registered 10 assists. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 23 factors and had 9 assists, and Chet Holmgren had 18 factors on 9-for-14 capturing and 9 rebounds.
Rui Hachimura scored 21 to guide the Lakers. LeBron James (7-for-19) had 19 factors, six rebounds and eight assists.
The Thunder have received all seven of their video games this postseason. Their common margin of victory coming into Sport 3 was 17.5 factors.
Listed here are some takeaways from Saturday’s recreation.
As soon as once more, Lakers can’t sustain as soon as OKC hits the gasoline
The second half continues to doom the Los Angeles Lakers in opposition to the machine that’s the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.
Over the primary three video games of this collection, the Lakers have now been outscored by a mixed 59 factors. Ajay Mitchell was the engine this time for a Thunder workforce that grows extra assured every night time. He completed with 24, however the reality it was Mitchell who dominated simply underscored the dominance the Thunder have proven on this collection. They’ll hit the Lakers up and down from a wide range of totally different locations on the league’s deepest roster.
The Lakers, with out Luka Dončić, simply don’t have an opportunity. At 41, LeBron James can’t be the man the Lakers can lean on to repeatedly pull them out of a funk. Austin Reaves went simply 5-for-13 from the sphere and didn’t have the reply within the second half, both.
After taking part in the Thunder powerful all night time, the Lakers couldn’t hit the gear they wanted to contend on this collection, in opposition to this workforce. The second half has been the distinction every night time on this collection, and now the one factor the Lakers need to look ahead to is that they’ve just one extra left, on Monday night time. — Nick Friedell
Lakers want extra out of their stars
The Lakers don’t have the depth to compete with Oklahoma Metropolis, so in a recreation Rui Hachimura has 21 and Luke Kennard scores 18, the Lakers need to get extra out of their stars than they did Saturday. LeBron James and Austin Reaves mixed for 36 factors on 32 pictures, James going 7-for-19. Reaves began 0-for-5 earlier than ending up 5-for-13, however his 5 turnovers have been an enormous downside.
OKC once more feasted off the Lakers’ errors, scoring 30 factors off 17 turnovers. The Lakers have yet another likelihood to get a recreation from Oklahoma Metropolis, nevertheless it’s exhausting to see how they’ll pull it off. — Dan Woike
Lakers are working out of gamers
Earlier than Sport 3, Lakers head coach JJ Redick mentioned the standard of the Thunder roster. He famous that rookie Thomas Sorber was out with a torn ACL and 2024 lottery choose Nikola Topić was simply returning from a number of well being challenges. However the Thunder are stacked with high quality gamers, even with All-NBA star Jalen Williams nursing a hamstring harm.
“The large factor with them is their depth,” Redick mentioned pregame. “I imply, Mark (Daigneault) talked about it the opposite night time. (Topić) handled some well being stuff, and their rookie is coping with some well being stuff now getting back from his offseason surgical procedure. Actually, the opposite 13 guys are all top-seven or -eight rotation gamers within the NBA on any workforce. To allow them to simply hit you with our bodies as effectively. Simply the character of how they constructed that workforce.”
That was clear as ever in Sport 3, the night time the Lakers’ season successfully ended. Luka Dončić was the one unavailable participant, nevertheless it felt like greater than that. The Thunder reserves have pummeled the Lakers all collection, most notably with Jared McCain’s capturing whereas Cason Wallace and Alex Caruso strap up. In Sport 3, Wallace determined so as to add some scoring, blitzing the Lakers with 11 first quarter factors to outscore the whole Lakers bench.
Even with the Lakers main by halftime behind the wind of unbelievable capturing from Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard, it was clear that the Lakers have been too skinny and trying to find solutions that didn’t exist.
Rookie Adou Thiero performed early for the second consecutive recreation, and Jarred Vanderbilt stayed glued to the bench regardless of recovering from an off-hand finger dislocation. Jake LaRavia had performed each single preseason, regular-season and postseason recreation. However he couldn’t sustain on protection whereas contributing little on offense, so he received a DNP-CD. The problem with that was Maxi Kleber was dusted off as LaRavia’s alternative within the nine-man rotation, and that didn’t work.
The Lakers’ facilities have been successfully canceled. Deandre Ayton entered Sport 3 having missed 12 of 13 subject targets within the final six quarters. Ayton didn’t precisely make up for it in Sport 3, whereas Jaxson Hayes failed to try a shot in 9 minutes. Redick tried to get some minutes for Thiero at middle — it didn’t work. As soon as the Lakers have been outscored 14-0 off turnovers within the third quarter, this recreation (and this collection) was a wrap.
Backside line, the Lakers have run out of gamers in opposition to the perfect workforce within the NBA. — Regulation Murray
Thunder, in distinction, have depth for days
As Regulation famous above, JJ Redick mentioned pregame that Oklahoma Metropolis has 13 gamers who’d be within the prime eight of any rotation within the NBA.
That the Thunder’s depth has punished his Lakers doesn’t come as a shock to his workers. However to make him look prophetic, pseudo-starter Cason Wallace scored 11 first-quarter factors; Ajay Mitchell, beginning instead of an injured Jalen Williams, detonated for twenty-four factors and 10 assists; and regardless of Jared McCain’s influence by the primary two video games, coach Mark Daigneault discovered the freedom to resolve Sport 3 was an Isaiah Joe night time, principally as a result of he can.
It will get deep. — Joel Lorenzi