Shai’s turnovers don’t slow OKC: “I trust my teammates”
The Lakers defense forced seven turnovers from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but it didn’t change the outcome: OKC cruised to a Game 1 win
After the long break following their sweep of the Suns, the Oklahoma City Thunder returned to the floor without losing a single ounce of their intensity. Despite a somewhat sluggish first half, OKC shifted gears after halftime, crushing the Lakers 108-90 to take a 1-0 series lead.
If the playoffs counted consecutive 20-point games, Game 1 would have marked the end of a streak that had reached 144 games. SGA finished with just 17 points, but what made the difference was his mental approach and the offensive reads he made while navigating the Lakers’ traps and double-teams.
When there are a lot of defenders on me, that means a lot of teammates are open. I trust them
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Despite committing seven turnovers as a result of the constant traps, his willingness to move the ball opened the floor for the shooters. While Shai drew multiple defenders, the rest of the group showed why these Thunder have so many weapons to rely on: Chet Holmgren dominated with a 24-point, 12-rebound double-double.
Ajay Mitchell, inserted into the starting lineup, was solid with 18 points, while Jared McCain was surgical from deep, knocking down four threes and finishing with 12 points.
Thunder defense locks down Lakers
As always, OKC built the win on the defensive end. The Thunder defense forced the Lakers into 17 turnovers and held them to a poor 42% shooting from the field. The most glaring example was the nightmare outing from Austin Reaves, who was limited to just 8 points on a brutal 3-for-16 shooting night. A Game 1 to forget for coach JJ Redick’s guard, whose 18.8% shooting was the lowest ever by a Laker in a Game 1, putting him in franchise history for all the wrong reasons.
Not even the 27 points from a strong-starting LeBron James were enough: without help from the supporting cast, the Lakers folded under the pressure of a team that plays twice as fast and remains (almost) always more composed.
Even at 41, LeBron was still the best player on the floor, finishing 12-for-17 from the field and nearly posting 78% true shooting. But the Lakers offense is missing Luka Doncic (33.5 points per game on 46% shooting and 36% from three), who will most likely remain out for the rest of the series.