The Los Angeles Lakers are coming from a win over the New Orleans Pelicans 124-108 on April 4. Lakers LeBron James (27), Luka Doncic (35), and Austin Reaves (30) combined for an impressive 92 points that game. Reaves shot 6-of-9 from the three-point line. The Lakers shot 51% from the field and 39% from the three-point line. As the Lakers march toward the end of the season, every game matters. Teams in the Western Conference standings are jumbled up. The Lakers are one game above the Golden State Warriors who they lost to on April 3, 123-116.
Golden State plays No. 2 seed Houston Rockets on Sunday. The Lakers faced the top seed in the Western Conference Oklahoma City Thunder. The Oklahoma City Thunder are coming off a loss against the Houston Rockets 125-11 on April 4. Before then, the Thunder was on an 11-game win streak. OKC has dominated through the season, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaging 32 PPG and is the top scorer in the league. The Thunder have won over 60 games this season, starting at 64-13 before facing the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
The last time the Thunder faced the Lakers was November 29 before the Doncic-Davis trade. The Thunder won that game 101-93. Could the Thunder get a win over the Los Angeles Lakers to offset the loss they suffered against the Rockets? Or will the Lakers continue their winning streak and solidify their position in the Western Conference?
Lake Show Started Early
The Los Angeles Lakers’ shots fell early and often from the three-point line. After six minutes in the first quarter, the Lakers began to pull away from the #1 defense in the league this season, the Oklahoma City Thunder. After the first quarter, the Lakers held a 10-point lead. The Lakers shot 7-of-9 from three-point land led by Luka Doncic. He went 3-of-5 from the three-point line and would finish the quarter with 13 points. Gilgeous-Alexander finished the quarter shooting 5-of-8 from the field ending the quarter with 10 points.
In the second quarter, the Lakers were still hot from three. After just three minutes in the second, they had pushed the lead to 20. The Oklahoma City Thunder shot 40% from the field in the first half and 35% from the three-point line. The Lakers shot 75% from the three-point line and 67% from the field and out-rebounded the Thunder 20-13 in the first half. The Lakers outscored the Thunder 34-17 in the second quarter. Doncic ended the half with 20 points, six assists, and three rebounds. Reaves had 15 points, and James had 9 points by halftime. The Lakers scored 78 points in the first half.
Los Angeles Lakers Dominate Thunder
The Los Angeles Lakers did cool off from the three-point line in the third quarter shooting 3-of-10. However, the Lakers still led by as much as 28 during the quarter. The Thunder battled back in the third but never broke the 20-point hold the Lakers had on the lead. SGA ended the quarter with 26 points, 9 assists, and 3 rebounds. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams finished with 10 points at the end of the third quarter. The Lakers bench would outscore the Thunder 30-14 by the end of three quarters.
The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 126-99. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points shooting 12-of-26 from the field with 9 assists. The Thunder shot 43% from the field and 32% from three-point land. James finished with 19 points, 7 assists, and 3 rebounds. Doncic finished the game shooting 11-of-20 from the field and 5-of-11 from the three-point line. He ended 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Final Thoughts
The Lakers will play OKC again on Tuesday. Currently, the Lakers are third in the Western Conference and 1.5 games ahead of the Golden State Warriors. OKC has locked their position in the Western Conference, and both teams are tied a game a piece in the season series. The Lakers and Thunder only play three times this season. The next game will be interesting considering many NBA experts claim the Thunder are too much for the Los Angeles Lakers. This recent game shows it isn’t like that at all. Was this a real test for the Los Angeles Lakers?
