LeBron James after Game 1: “We miss Doncic, that’s the problem”
LeBron James got straight to the point after the Game 1 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder: without Luka Doncic, the Lakers struggle to score – and it shows
The Oklahoma City Thunder opened the Western Conference semifinals with a convincing win over the Los Angeles Lakers: 108-90 the final score in Game 1.
A standout performance came from Chet Holmgren, who finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds, dominating on both ends of the floor. Alongside him, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell also delivered, each scoring 18 points.
The shooting numbers tell the story of the game: nearly 50% from the field and 13 made threes. Strong numbers that explain why the game was never truly in doubt.
Lakers struggle: Doncic’s absence looms large
On the other side, the Los Angeles Lakers had major trouble creating offense without Luka Doncic, who has now been out for a month. The attack looked predictable and lacked flow, despite 27 points from LeBron James and 18 from Rui Hachimura.
It was also a difficult night for Austin Reaves, held to just 8 points on a rough 3-for-16 shooting line.
Oklahoma City took full advantage, defending aggressively, forcing 17 turnovers, and holding Los Angeles under 42% shooting from the field.
After the game, LeBron James did not avoid the offensive issues that surfaced in Game 1:
The problems on offense? We have a player who was scoring 37 points a game. That’s the whole problem
LeBron James
A simple, direct quote that perfectly captures the situation.
Series already tilting?
OKC confirmed the dominance already seen in the regular season, when it won every matchup against the Lakers by comfortable margins. This time the gap was slightly smaller, but the feeling remained the same: the Thunder have more pace, more options, and more energy.
Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday, again on the Thunder’s home floor. The Lakers need an immediate response, or the series could slip away very quickly.