Another pair of second-half runs in Game 3 leave the Luka Doncic-less team on the brink of elimination, and at this rate the second-round series will be over Monday night.
Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores in front of Lakers forwards Rui Hachimura, right, and LeBron James, left, during the first half of Game 3 of their second-round playoff series on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena.
might be one of the great NBA teams of all time , turns out it wasn’t just opposition coach posturing. The Thunder really are prompting comparisons to the dynastic 2014-2022 Golden State Warriors, and maybe even the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls of the 1990s. They are relentless, they are ruthless, and it’s safe to say the Lakers are sick of having to witness it firsthand.
They will have at least one more shot at them, Monday night at 7:30 in downtown L.A. , and while their goal right now is just to stay alive and at the very least send the second-round series back to OKC for a Game 5 on Wednesday, you can almost sense a silent resignation on the part of the players who have butted their heads against this stone wall.
Most of these nights have followed the same pattern we saw Saturday night: The victors resemble a cat playing with its toy, or a little kid picking at his food, for most of the early part of the evening. And then they get serious. The Lakers led at halftime on Saturday night, 59-57, before they were outscored 33-20 in the third quarter.
The Thunder broke a 63-63 tie with a 15-2 run in 4:34 to take a 78-65 lead, and then put together a 14-5 run in a little over three minutes at the end of the third and start of the fourth. This is not an anomaly. Over the first three games of this series the Thunder have outscored the Lakers by 31 points in third quarters, including 14 and 13 the last two games.
“If I could tell you why, we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” Lakers guard Marcus Smart said, with a rueful grin. “No, you know, we’re trying to figure it out. They’re throwing a lot at us on the fly, throwing different coverages, trying things. And it is tough.
You know, you’re playing against the defending champs and they do a really good job of making you pay when you make mistakes. So the margin for error is very, very slim, and they’re doing a really great job of, you know, coming out in that third quarter and throwing the first punch. ”.
But facts are facts, and while the scoreboard might exaggerate once in a while, it doesn’t lie. The Thunder are too talented, too deep and too versatile. Redick noted before the game that the Thunder’s top 13 players “are all top seven or eight rotation players in the NBA on any team. So they can just hit you with bodies as well.
It’s just the nature of how they built that team. ”“Typically, if you can poke holes at a team in a playoff series, there’s a good chance you might have a temporary solution or can sort of adjust maybe a little bit,” Redick said.
“This team in-game, because of their personality, just adjusts, like that. You know, they need shooting on the floor, great. They need multiple wing defenders on the ball, great. They need two bigs on the floor, great.
“It’s a terrific basketball team. I said that before the series. I’ve been very impressed with them. So I think we can beat them, but we gotta do better.
” LeBron James put it this way: “They’re pretty damn good from top to bottom. And they don’t take their foot off the gas. ”“Obviously, third quarter, we didn’t have the energy, the effort,” he said.
“… We had moments, obviously, in the first half, that was really good for us. We did a good job of sharing the ball and knocking down shots. In that third quarter, we didn’t knock down shots, we didn’t defend or get stops. ” Once the Thunder get on one of those runs, of which they generally have had two or three per game against the Lakers, it can be dispiriting.
And if that looks familiar, it should.
“Definitely, did a good job of getting in the paint, right? ” Smart said.
“Controlling the paint. Scoring in the paint, and then the threes start falling after that.
“And same thing with those Warriors teams . Everybody thought, ‘they shoot the ball very well, that’s what’s killing them,’ but they give up 60 paint points. That’s it right there. So threes aren’t gonna kill you, but if you’re giving up paint points like that and threes, then that’s when it starts to get out of hand.
” Saturday’s box score would support that theory. The Thunder shot 17 for 38 from 3-point range, for 68 points – but they also had 64 points in the paint. And reigning league MVP Shai-Gilgeous Alexander did a little of both: 7 for 20 from the field, including both drives to the basket and long-distance marksmanship . How do you counter all of that?
The Lakers have at least one more chance to figure it out, and while Redick isn’t quite defiant, he’s determined.
“We’ve got to be better, but I’m not giving up on the series,” he said. “And we’re gonna go try to win on Monday. We’re gonna try to extend the series and we’re trying to take this thing back to OKC.
”Jarred Vanderbilt available for Game 3; Lakers hope to get more out of AytonLakers done in by turnovers in Game 2 as Thunder take 2-0 series leadLAPD motorcycle officer injured in crash on 101 Freeway in Woodland Hills Jury rules in LA’s favor in accidental police shooting of teen at Burlington store in North HollywoodIrene Lee vs Angie Christides in LA Superior Court Office No. 14LA County’s 2026 Primary Election Voter Guide is here to help you cast your ballotLast resorts in Primm, the former State Line at California-Nevada border, to close permanently
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Thunder Rally Without Gilgeous-Alexander to Take Game 1 Lead Over LakersThe Oklahoma City Thunder overcame the absence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the third quarter, rallying to take a 93-80 lead and ultimately defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of their playoff series. Chet Holmgren led the Thunder with 23 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks, while the team showcased strong defensive play and bench contributions. Coach Mark Daigneault praised the team's resilience and competitive spirit.
Read more »
Why Lakers vs. Thunder series shifts when LeBron James, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sitLeBron James and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are shining, but the Lakers vs Thunder series is being decided when they sit. Here’s how non-star minutes, turnovers and depth have led to OKC’s dominance t…
Read more »
Lakers have contained Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but it hasn’t been enoughThe Lakers have limited the reigning league MVP to 40 points through the first two games of their second-round playoff series, but they still lost each game by 18 points.
Read more »
How OKC Thunder Can Help Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. LakersThe Oklahoma City Thunder are taking on the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the NBA Playoffs, where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has struggled as a scorer. The Thunder should lean on a previous counter.
Read more »