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Thunder dominate LeBron James, Lakers to win Game 1
TL;DR
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 108-90 in Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference semifinals, taking a 1-0 series lead. Chet Holmgren led the Thunder with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
Key points
- Thunder won Game 1 against Lakers 108-90
- Chet Holmgren scored 24 points and 12 rebounds
- Thunder defense held Lakers to lowest playoff score since 2021
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander contributed 18 points
- Thunder lead series 1-0
Mentioned in this story
LeBron JamesChet HolmgrenShai Gilgeous-Alexander
Oklahoma City ThunderLos Angeles Lakers
The Oklahoma City Thunder overpowered the LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers 108-90 to grab a 1-0 lead in their NBA Western Conference semifinal series.
A balanced offensive performance and steely defensive display from the reigning NBA champions were enough to seal victory over the depleted Lakers, who started brightly but trailed for the final three quarters, on Tuesday.
Chet Holmgren led the Thunder with 24 points and 12 rebounds while reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell added 18 points apiece.
“We were a little choppy, a little rusty, but offensively we just stuck with it,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, saluting a Thunder defence that restricted the Lakers to their lowest score in a playoff game since 2021.
“We just try to make people play outside their comfort zone, as simple as that,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of the Thunder defence. “Whatever guys like to do, we like to take away from them.”
The commanding Thunder victory underscored the size of the task facing the fourth-seeded Lakers if they are to defy the odds and upset the champions in the best-of-seven series.
Oklahoma City completed a 4-0 regular-season sweep over the Lakers, winning each game by an average margin of 29.3 points.
Tuesday’s series-opener at Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center echoed the Thunder’s regular-season dominance, with the champions pulling away down the stretch to score an emphatic win.
James, who had defied his 41 years to lead the Lakers to a surprise 4-2 upset of the Houston Rockets in the first round, led Los Angeles with 27 points and shot 12-for-17 in a losing effort.
Rui Hachimura added 18 points, with Marcus Smart bagging 12 and Deandre Ayton 10.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick blamed unforced errors for his team’s problems.
“The mistakes hurt us,” Redick said. “You’re playing the world champs, your margin for error in terms of mistakes is not that high … just too many tonight. We’ve got to clean that up.
“The guys played hard. We just got to do a better job with execution. It comes down to attention to detail.
“I know we’ll clean things up and be better.”
Chet Holmgren, centre, led Oklahoma City in points (24) and rebounds (12) [Joshua Gateley/Getty Images via AFP]
Pistons hold off Cavs
Q&A
What was the final score of the Thunder vs Lakers Game 1?
The final score was 108-90 in favor of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Who led the Thunder in scoring against the Lakers?
Chet Holmgren led the Thunder with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
How did the Thunder's defense perform against the Lakers?
The Thunder's defense restricted the Lakers to their lowest playoff score since 2021.
What did Shai Gilgeous-Alexander say about the Thunder's performance?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned that the team was a bit rusty but managed to stick with their offensive strategy.
