The Los Angeles Lakers began with the right plan; without Luka Doncic, they had a 2-point lead in the Game of the Conference Semifinals. But for the second game in a row, the Oklahoma City Thunder came back from the deficit, and this time registered a blowout 131-108 win. It all went south in the third frame as the Purple and Gold were outscored by 25 points in this half, the second-worst in a home playoff game for the Lakers since they moved to LA. LeBron James spilled the beans on what exactly went wrong.
The struggles just after the break are a problem that has persisted since last season. When the season began in October, after the season opener, JJ Redick was very vocal and called his troops a “terrible third-quarter team”. The head coach then stated that they needed to “rethink some things,” but the problems persist, and it has cost them back-to-back games in the playoffs. “The third quarter we start with that,” a dejected Bron said to the media.
AR went scoreless, and Bron connected just 1-4 from his shots, and the Lakers barely converted 8-22 from field goals. Meanwhile, the Thunder drilled 13 from 22 shots, and 5 of them were from beyond the arc. OKC’s night in Crypto.com Arena was difficult, too. Current MVP and the team’s star guard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, missed nine of his first 11 shots and had fewer double-teams than in the series’ first two games. SGA and Chet Holmgren combined for just 9 points, but the others stepped up massively.
Sophomore guard Ajay Mitchell dropped his playoff high and game high 24 points, and 9 of them came in the third frame. Similarly, Isaiah Joe, who had 12 points in the game, scored half of them in the third quarter. They became the catalyst for the comeback, and LeBron James knew he had to acknowledge OKC’s depth. “They’re pretty damn good from top to bottom, they don’t let their foot off the gas.” He continued and was not surprised by the Thunder bench’s resilience. “It’s not surprising. You’ve seen them over the years. They have a lot of bodies, and they have a lot of guys who can do multiple things on the floor. So, you know, it helps to have that depth.” This was also a subtle jab at his own players.
The current champion’s bench scored 40 points, with Cason Wallace being the highest contributor with 16. Apart from scoring, the Thunder have a lot of wing defenders, a lot of size and length. Coach Mark Daigneault had a good defensive system where he had them on a string. OKC out-rebounded the Lakers, 43-37, had 12 steals in total, and they forced JJ Redick’s team into 17 turnovers, of which they scored 30 points. The defensive ability stifled even LeBron James and Austin Reaves, and the duo struggled from the field to a combined 12 for 32.
In comparison, the Lakers’ bench failed to provide any spark, which again has been a problem during the series. For Game 1, the Thunder outscored them 34-15, and in the second game, the gap was even wider, 48-20. Game 3 had a similar narrative as JJ Redick and Austin Reaves praised OKC.
Similar to LeBron James, AR and JJ couldn’t highlight flaws for the Thunder
The Lakers’ head coach gave them the credit. “They’re an incredible basketball team,” JJ Redick said. “Third straight game we’re right there after 2 1/2 quarters. We tried different lineups, different coverages. Still lost those minutes. Again, we’ve got to be better, but I’m not giving up on the series. We’re going to go try to win on Monday. We’re going to try to extend the series.” When AR and LeBron James failed to inspire, the Purple and Gold bench had 31 points, with Luke Kennard leading with 18 points.
The Lakers simply do not have the depth to absorb Oklahoma City’s rotation. When the Thunder tighten their grip, Los Angeles has not found a reliable way to respond. Even Austin Reaves knows this. “They’re a connected group. Their pieces fit basically perfectly,” AR said to the media. “It’s tough to beat them. They’ve got a good coaching staff over that that does a good job. Managing the game that his team needs to be managed. They’ve got really good players.”
As the Thunder make sure their pieces fit perfectly, the Lakers’ biggest piece seems missing. The status of Doncic remains uncertain as 14th consecutive game for the Lakers since straining his hamstring on April 2 in Oklahoma City. Even if the Slovenian remains on the sidelines on Monday, the Lakers have to turn as their backs are against the wall.
