Clippers drop consecutive road games following loss to Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Los Angeles Clippers could not prevail in their Western Conference clash with the Oklahoma City Thunder Sunday night, falling 108-101 at the Paycom Center while dropping to 1-2 on the 2026-2027 campaign. 

Facing off against the best in the west for the last two seasons, this all-out bout saw neither team lead by double digits, with the Thunder gaining their first three-possession lead of the second half with just 1:44 remaining. 

While the Thunder remain undefeated and are one of five teams in the West at 3-0, their primary concern rests with guard Jalen Williams who went down with a severe lower leg injury in the final 1:14 of the game and had to be stretchered off the court. 

Already down guard Cason Wallace who went out with left shoulder soreness in the first quarter and forward Jaylin Williams, who left that same quarter with right wrist soreness, this last devastating injury leaves them without a major piece to the team’s identity. 

Jalen Williams already missed 49 games last season with a multitude of injuries, dealing with lingering leg problems and recurring hamstring issues. It will be a long recovery back for the All-Star and All-NBA Selection, as this may be the last game he plays in this regular season. 

Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Oct 25, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; during the second half at Paycom Center.

Outside of the major storyline, the Clippers put together a strong first half, building off the momentum they carried early on in the second quarter to hold a 46-43 lead by the half. 

It was a 13-4 run within the first four minutes of the second quarter where the Clippers played to their greatest strength, the deep ball. Nailing three triples during the stretch, the Clippers built a six-point lead, their second largest of the game before they extended it to seven inside the final five minutes of the half. 

The Clippers entered this game with already 30 triples in the bank, their most through the first two games of a season since their 33 three-pointers in 2020-21, when head coach Tyronn Lue led the team to the Western Conference Finals in his first season at the helm, which still remains their deepest playoff run in franchise history.

They finished tonight 15-for-38 from deep, and are amongst the top five in the league in three-point percentage. 

The Clippers saw tremendous contributions from their bench in the first half, with backup center Brook Lopez dropping eight points in just nine minutes and guard Kobe Sanders putting up eight points in 11 minutes, who both represented the game-leading scorers through a defensive first half. Lopez would finish with 15 points and Sanders with 12. 

In a thrilling third quarter that saw nine ties and lead changes, the Thunder would eventually put themselves in the lead within the final 90 seconds. While the Clippers did tie it up thrice within the first six minutes of the final quarter, the closest they got following that was a 97-96 deficit right at the three-minute mark off a triple from forward Derrick Jones Jr. 

Despite the loss, the Clippers had seven different players finish in double figures. Even with a rough shooting night for their primary option in guard Darius Garland who went 7-for-17 from the floor with 16 points, he put up 14 of those in the second half to lead all Clippers in scoring. 

Rookie guard Keaton Wagler kept his double-figures streak alive with 11 points off the bench in 26 minutes, while fellow guard Kris Dunn had a season-high 15 points. 

Gilgeous-Alexander had a massive second-half effort with 27 points to finish the night with 34 and help keep the Thunder undefeated. He’ll look to start a new streak after losing his 141-game streak with 20-plus points on Thursday against the Denver Nuggets. 

Guard Ajay Mitchell was their next go-to option off the bench as he put up 18 points and six rebounds to help a squad that was burdened with early injuries. 

For a group that dealt with a tumultuous offseason and were deemed to be a team that consisted primarily of missing pieces for other teams, the Clippers have played unselfishly through their first three games and spread the wealth offensively.

Lue has used the same starting five of Garland, Dunn, Rui Hachimura, Jones Jr. and Isaiah Jackson this season. With those connections forming and highly competitive matchups thus far, the Clippers will look to snap their two-game skid as they head back to the Intuit Dome for a rematch against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. 

Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.