Thunder pull away late to beat Lakers
Hope
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 108-90 on Tuesday night to take a 1-0 lead in their Western Conference semifinal playoff series.
Oklahoma City pulled away in the fourth quarter after a competitive first half, maintaining their unbeaten playoff run. The Thunder have now improved to 5-0 in the postseason.
Chet Holmgren led the way with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell added 18 points each. Despite a slow start that included six turnovers, Gilgeous-Alexander recovered to guide his team through key moments.
The Thunder shot 49.4 percent from the field and converted 13 of their 30 attempts from three-point range. They also forced 17 turnovers and held the Lakers to 41.7 percent shooting.
The Lakers showed early promise, taking a 7-0 lead with LeBron James scoring five quick points. However, Oklahoma City responded to lead 31-26 at the end of the first quarter and extended that advantage to 61-53 at halftime.
Los Angeles attempted to close the gap in the third quarter but struggled offensively. LeBron James finished with 27 points, while Rui Hachimura added 18. Austin Reaves, who averaged 23.3 points during the regular season, was limited to just eight points on 3-for-16 shooting.
The Lakers were also without Luka Doncic, who has reportedly missed the past month with a left hamstring injury, affecting their scoring options.
A key moment came in the third quarter when Ajay Mitchell completed a three-point play to stretch the lead to 84-72. Oklahoma City maintained control in the fourth quarter, with Alex Caruso’s fast-break dunk helping to seal the win.
Jarred Vanderbilt left the game after injuring his right pinkie finger and did not return.
Game 2 of the series will be played in Oklahoma City on Thursday.
