Thunder overpower Lakers, take 2-0 series lead with 125-107 victory

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder continue to look like a championship team in every sense, overwhelming the Los Angeles Lakers with depth, defense and relentless pressure in a 125-107 victory Thursday night to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.

The defending NBA champions seized control with a dominant second half at Paycom Center, turning a close game into another statement win as the series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3.

After trailing by one at halftime, Oklahoma City overwhelmed the Lakers with a crushing third-quarter run fueled by defense and transition offense. The Thunder forced 19 turnovers, repeatedly converting mistakes into easy baskets while frustrating the Lakers physically and emotionally throughout the night.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points despite foul trouble, while Chet Holmgren added 22 points, nine rebounds, four steals and two blocks in another two-way masterpiece. Oklahoma City’s depth again proved decisive as Ajay Mitchell scored 20 points off the bench and Jared McCain added 18.

Austin Reaves kept the Lakers competitive early, scoring a playoff career-high 31 points, while LeBron James added 23 points and six assists in his 300th career playoff game. Rui Hachimura chipped in 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting.

But the Lakers once again struggled to handle Oklahoma City’s speed, defensive pressure and physicality, particularly after halftime.

The frustration boiled over repeatedly during the game and exploded afterward, as Lakers coach JJ Redick sharply criticized the officiating crew following the loss. 

“I sarcastically said the other day, they’re the most disruptive team without fouling,” Redick said afterward. “I mean, they have a few guys that foul on every possession. … They’re hard enough to play, you’ve got to be able to just call them if they foul, and they do foul.” 

Redick was assessed a technical foul late in the first quarter after arguing with officials over what he believed were missed calls involving James. The Lakers coach said afterward that James continues to receive an unfair whistle despite the physical punishment he absorbs attacking the basket. 

“LeBron has the worst whistle of any star player I’ve ever seen,” Redick said. “The guy gets hit on the head more than any player I’ve seen on drives, and it rarely gets called.” 

James showed visible frustration throughout the night. Early in the first quarter he hit the floor hard after contact from Jaylin Williams on a drive with no foul called. Later, he was whistled for an offensive foul after contact with Alex Caruso, who sold the collision by falling backward near the foul line. 

Asked afterward about the officiating, James kept his answer brief.

“We’re down 2-0,” he said. 

Reaves also confronted officials late in the fourth quarter after a loose-ball foul involving Jaxson Hayes and Williams was changed to a double foul, resulting in a jump ball instead of Lakers possession. Reaves said crew chief John Goble “yelled in my face” during the sequence. 

“At the end of the day, we’re grown men,” Reaves said. “I just didn’t feel like he needed to yell in my face like that.” 

Moments later, the Thunder won the jump ball and Cason Wallace buried a 3-pointer to extend Oklahoma City’s lead to 13. The Lakers never got closer than 12 points the rest of the way. 

Despite the complaints, the free-throw disparity was relatively close. Oklahoma City attempted 26 free throws to the Lakers’ 21, while Los Angeles was called for 26 fouls compared to 21 for the Thunder. 

Still, the Lakers felt Oklahoma City’s physical defense set the tone throughout the night.

“We can’t control the referees,” Hachimura said. “They’re the defending champions. [The refs] give them respect. Whatever. We can’t do anything about it.” 

The bigger issue for the Lakers may be Oklahoma City’s complete control of the series through two games. The Thunder have now won six straight playoff games and remain unbeaten this postseason, looking deeper, younger and faster than the veteran Lakers.

With the series now shifting to Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers face a must-win Game 3 on Saturday to avoid falling into an almost impossible 3-0 deficit against a Thunder team that has looked every bit like the favorite to return to the NBA Finals.