Star-less Lakers throttled by Thunder in third straight loss

LOS ANGELES — It was a near-impossible quest for a star-less Lakers team against the NBA’s Goliath, the Thunder.

Los Angeles came out of the gates matching Oklahoma City’s energy with a closer-than-expected first quarter. 

Then, as each quarter and minute went by, the margin slowly separated for the undermanned Lakers, falling to the Thunder 123-87 on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena for their third loss in a row.

The Lakers went in already down Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves and then lost LeBron James hours before due to foot management and Jaxson Hayes after his warm-ups with left foot soreness.

After a 34-27 end to the first quarter, the Thunder went on to outscore the Lakers 89-60 the rest of the way.

“For 18 minutes we fought hard," coach JJ Redick said.

In those first 18 minutes of the game, the Lakers tied the game twice and found energetic sequences that woke the crowd behind 10 points in the opening quarter from Drew Timme. 

But the Lakers couldn’t find any cushion to get a lead. The Thunder poured it on from 3 at a high rate, totaling 21 on the night.

Oklahoma City made 50.6% of their total field goal attempts while shooting 51.2% from 3.  

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with a game-high 25 points (eight assists) on 10 of 15 shots and the game’s highest plus/minus of +32.

Gilgeous-Alexander was one of five Thunder players to score in double figures.

The Lakers had no player crack the 20-point threshold for the first time this season as Rui Hachimura led the team with 15 points.

WHERE THEY STAND

The Lakers dropped to 50-29 and stand No. 4 in the Western Conference behind the Denver Nuggets at No. 3.

The Thunder push their win streak to six games as they still sit at the top of the NBA with the best record at 63-16.

THE GAME-CHANGER

After the Lakers tied it up at 42 after a Luke Kennard layup, as he finished with 10 points and 9 assists at point guard for the second game in a row, the Thunder were forced to call a timeout.

From then on, Oklahoma City went full throttle, outscoring L.A. 23-5 behind 11 3-pointers in the first half. The Thunder’s momentum carried over in the third quarter, reaching their biggest lead of the game at 41 points.

“No matter who we have or don’t have, we have to play hard. We have to compete. We’re the Lakers; there is a standard," Timme said on the Lakers’ depleted roster and expectation from the coaching staff.

THE GAMEBREAKER

Gilgeous-Alexander was the contest’s gamebreaker as he flashed MVP shot-making and a mix of skillful use of keeping players off balance and getting to the free-throw line.

He poured in 13 of his 15 first-half points in the first quarter. Because of the Thunder’s large lead, Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t see any minutes in the fourth quarter.

THE SITUATIONSHIP

To begin the second quarter, Redick and forward Jarred Vanderbilt got in an altercation after he was subbed out 16 seconds in. The two got in a verbal back-and-forth and at one point, Reaves got in the middle of them. Multiple teammates patted Vanderbilt on the chest and his back.

Vanderbilt didn’t play for the rest of the game, finishing with three points in 4:41 seconds of playing time.

“A confluence of things," Redick said on the altercation. “Nothing personal with him, but normal stuff from my end. I think for all of us … we’ve got to scrap and claw. We’ve got to all be on the same page. We’ve got to be great teammates.”

NEXT ON THE SCHEDULE

The Lakers head to Golden State on Thursday to start their final back-to-back games for the last time this season before facing the Phoenix Suns back home in L.A. on Friday.