Lakers 126 vs 99 Thunder summry, stats, scores and highlights | NBA regular season
The Lakers got a big win in OKC on Sunday, but the Thunder are going to get another crack at them on Tuesday. That should look like a very different game, and could be more of an indicator of what a playoff game might look like should they meet in a couple weeks time.
The Thunder are still the one seed, but they will keep an eye on what the Cavs do over the next couple days while the Lakers will be attentive on the Rockets vs. Warriors game coming up later tonight before they set their mind on the rematch against the Thunder on Tuesday night.
This could be a potential playoff match up and the Lakers should be coming out of today feeling good about themselves. Luka looked unstoppable, and played pretty good defense all night. LeBron looked comfortable in a secondary role and Reaves knocked down shots when he needed to.
I told you the Lakers came out red hot in the first half of the game, and here is the proof. LA tied a franchise record for threes made in a half with 15. They were 15/22 from behind the arc in the opening two quarters, and they used that to get out to a 23 point halftime lead.
Both teams needed the win on Sunday. OKC is focused on keeping home court throughout the playoffs and into the Finals, but to do so they will have to stay ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers. LA has the Nuggets, Warriors and the Timberwolves nipping at their heels so they needed a win to stay in third place. It was LA who came out looking the hungrier and more desperate. Luka didn't just score, he had some magical dishes to set up his teammates in the blowout win from Paycor.
Austin Reaves came into Sunday's game red hot, scoring 30 or more points in four of his last five games. He didn't reach 30 in OKC but he had 20, and 14 of those in the first half.
The Los Angeles Lakers went into Oklahoma City needing a win to stay in third place in the West, and rocked the Thunder with a barrage of three point shooting that carried LA to the finish line. Luka Doncic finished the day with 30 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in the 126-99 win.
The Lakers came out hot from three point range and never really slowed down. They came out hitting 6 of their first eight from deep and Luka was at the heart of everything.
IT'S ALL OVER FROM OKC!!!
The Lakers win the first of two matches at Paycor Center in a matter of days. Luka had 30, Reaves had 20 and LeBron finished with 19.
Bronny James drills a three ball and the Paycor Center lets out one of the biggest roars of the afternoon.
Goodwin in the lane and he gets the floater to fall.
Walllace with a short shot in the lane.
Knecht from downtown and he connects!
Williams with the interception and he jam on the other end.
Hachimura drills a three ball off the kick out from Doncic.
Wiggins on the drive and he lays it off for Wallace on the lay up under neath.
Timeout Lakers with 3:27 to go in the 4th quarter.
Williams drills a three ball from the wing!
Joe hits the deep ball and it's a little late for that for OKC.
Luka spins and hangs it high off the glass with the lay up.
LeBron with a mid range jumper off the offensive board from Luka.
Williams is called for a flagrant one and Vanderbilt hits one of two FTs and LA keep the ball.
Williams got a piece of Vanderbilt and they are going to look at this one a little closer to see if there was anything else than a normal foul.
Hcinmura with a three ball in the corner and he rattles it home.
Williams with the steal and the slam after swiping Hachimura.
Wallace on a baseline drive and a tough reverse lay up.
James picks off the Wiggins pass and slams it home!
Williams to the rack and he gets a tough lay up to go in traffic.
Timeout OKC with 9:46 to go in the 4th.
Williams to the line after the foul on Finney-Smith and he hits both FTs.
Wallace down low and he puts it up and in.
LeBron with the turnaround on the baseline and he hits it.
WE ARE AT THE END OF THE THIRD QUARTER WITH THE LAKERS UP BY 26!!!
LeBron on the turn around fader and he drills the mid range jumper to end the half.
Holmgren pulls up from the wing and he drills it!
Vincent in the corner off the LeBron dish and he strings it!
Finney-Smith in the corner off the kick out from James and he drills it.
Caruso strips Luka and takes it to the rack for a lay up.
SGA from the top of the key and he strings the three ball!
SGA fades in the lane and gets the 10 footer to fall.
Timeout Thunder with 3:36 to go in the third quarter.
Caruso with the loose ball foul on Finney-Smith and he drops both.
Doncic with the spin, and double clutch lay up with the foul and he's going to the line after a spectacular play down low. FT is good.
Doncic with the Dirk fader from the elbow and that goes! He's got 25!
Luka gets some medical attention after a hit to the mouth drew some blood with 6:32 to go in the 3rd.
Reaves in the corner off the LeBron kick out on the break and he drains it!
Hartenstein picks off the outlet from Luka and jams it home.
LeBron with the pick and roll and he hits Hayes rolling to the bucket for the slam down the lane.
SGA to the cup again and he somehow got it to go on the funky lay up in traffic.
LeBron follows up the miss from Hayes and tips it in.
SGA puts it on the deck and he lays it up and in off the glass.
Reaves spins in the lan and he floats it up and in.
SGA kicks it out to Dort and he gets the wing three to fall!
Hayes to the line after the foul on Holmgren but he misses both FTs.
SGA with a mid range jumper from the baseline. He's going to have to get going in this second half.
Doncic to the line after the foul on Hartenstein and he hits one of two FTs.
WE ARE BACK IN OKC FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION!!
LA tied a franchise record hitting 15 threes in the first half. They are 15/22 shooting 68.2% from the field. If OKC are going to get back in this game they have to start defending the perimeter.
Luka has 22 points, but he also has 5 assists. This one found Vincent who had 9 points off the bench.
Reaves has four 30+ point games in the last five, and he is on pace for another one. He's got 15 at halftime and is 3/5 from downtown.
Luka and the Lakers came out red hot from the perimeter. It was close for the first 8 minutes but LA built up a big lead and carried it for the rest of the second half.
WE ARE HEADING TO HALFTIME FROM OKC!!!
It's been all Lakers for the first 24 minutes of the game. Luka has 22, Reaves has 15, and LeBron has 9.
SGA off the dribble and he gets the short jumper to fall in the paint.
Williams to the cup and he lays it up and in.
Doncic gets the floater to fall in the lane.
SGA with a much needed three ball and the Thunder are going to try and build a run before half with under a minute to go.
Hartenstein in the lane and he gets it to fall.
LeBron with the extra pass and he finds Finney-Smith for the three ball in the corner and that ties a Lakers franchise record for threes made in a half!
Williams answers back with a three ball and he strokes it from the wing.
Doncic on the step back and he drills the three ball from the wing!! He's got 5, and 20 points on the night.
Goodwin saw a lane to the bucket and he floats it up off the glass.
Hayes with the offensive board and put back after the missed middy from Vincent.
Wiggins back to the line after another foul on Vincent and he hits one of two again.
Wiggins to the line after the foul on Vincent and he hits one of two FTs.
Reaves spins to the bucket and gets the lay up to go after the dish from Doncic.
Doncic finds Vincent in the corner and he hits the 13th three ball of the night for LA!!!
Doncic on the pull up and he hits another three ball! He's got 17 already!!
Finney-Smith in the corner and he strokes it off the dish from Luka.
Holmgren with a block on one end and the lay up on the other after Caruso found him cutting to the bucket.
Timeout LA with 7:07 to go in the 2nd quarter.
Caruso with the catch and shoot off the dish from Williams and he strokes it.
Wiggins euro steps through the land and lays it up and in to break up the Lakers run.
LeBron on the step back and he strokes the triple try!! LA are 10/12 from three point range and OKC need a timeout with 9:02 to go in the second quarter.
Reaves pulls the trigger from the top of the key and he's 3/3 from downtown!
Knecht sends Williams to the FT line and he both FTs.
Vanderbilt fouled by Wiggins down low and he hits both FTs.
Reaves pulls up and sticks the three ball from the wing!
LeBron starts the quarter on a one footed fader after closing out quarter one with a bucket.
WE ARE AT THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER!
LA score 42 and lead by double digits after 12 minutes. Luka leads all scorers with 14, SGA has 10, and Reaves has 7 and LeBron scored just two field goals in the first quarter.
LeBron puts his head down and goes to the rack before laying it in off the glass.
Holmgren answers back from the wing with a three ball off the dish from SGA.
Doncic tips it over to Vincent and he drills it from the wing!
SGA into traffic and he gets the roll on the leaner.
Vincent jacks the three ball and sticks it!!! The Lakers are 6/7 from three point range.
Caruso dives to the cup and lays it up as the seas parted down low.
Doncic on the off balance runner from the FT line, and he hits and gets the foul! FT is good.
Doncic with the pull up at the elbow and he hits the one handed push shot.
SGA takes it into traffic and hits the fader in the lane over the defenders.
Goodwin in the lane and he lobs it up for Hachimura for the alley oop.
DOncic had Hartenstein on him and he hit him with a step back three from the top of the key.
Joe in the corner off the feed from SGA and he drills the three!
The Lakers challenged an offensive foul called on James, and after a review the refs overturn it to a no call.
James pulls up from the mid range and gets his first bucket to fall.
Dort jacks the three ball and he drills it off the step back.
Reaves spots up from the three point line out of the timeout.
Finney-Smith steps into a three and drops it after the kickout from Reaves.
Holmgren with the baseline drive and he finger rolls it home.
Hachimura with the reverse lay up and the foul on Holmgren. FT is good.
Doncic was left alone and he drops a three ball from the wing!
SGA pulls up from the elbow and hits it over Hachimura.
Reaves with the turnaround from the baseline to open his account.
SGA to the rack and he lays it in with two hands after getting the rebound o the other end.
Reaves to the line after the foul on SGA and he hits both FTs.
Dort answers with a three ball from the wing off the dish from SGA.
Doncic is on the scoresheet with a three ball off the step back.
SGA opens his account with a baseline fader.
Hayes fouled by Hartenstein and he hits one of two FTs.
Haretenstein on the dive to the rack and SGA found him for the dunk.
Luka drives and slips it off for Hayes underneath who jams it home.
Hartenstein is the first one on the board with a loose offensive board and put back.
WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM OKC!!!
Tip off is five minutes away here from Paycor Center.
Thunder starters
Has this five taken over the Boston Celtics as the best starting five in the league? SGA is the probably MVP, Holmgren is a unicorn with his size and ability, Dort is a defensive stopper and Williams can go for 30 any time. Add Hartenstein down low and this is about as complete of a team as you will see across the NBA.
Lakers starters
LeBron was listed as questionable for today's big game but you had to know he was playing against the top team in the game. It's LeBron, Luka, and Reaves joined by Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes to start in OKC this afternoon.
Sunday whites
It's a tradition unlike any other. No, not the Masters. That's next week in Augusta. The Lakers are rocking their Sunday white jerseys for this massive game, which I just found out in on NBATV. That doesn't take away from the spectacle today, but it is true that the Women's NCAA Championship takes the shares the spotlight in the same time slot as today's big game in the Western Conference.
SGA's final MVP push
The MVP to be is in the building. It's not a done deal just yet, but if you believe everything that is being written and said, then SGA is a shoe in for his first NBA MVP. He can seal the deal with a couple of big games against the Lakers on national TV.
Rockets vs. Warriors later on today
This isn't the only massive game being played on this Sunday deep into the season. The Rockets and Warriors are going head to head as four of the top five teams in the West go head to head on a bloody Sunday that could shake things up in the standings for the next week and a half.
NBA Standings
Taking a look at the standings in the Western Conference, we see the Thunder well above the rest of the pack. They have the one seed clinched and are now looking for home court throughout the Finals, should they get there. They are battling the Cleveland Cavs who are two games behind them in first place in the East Coast. OKC has two big games against the Lakers coming up. The first tonight and then on Tuesday. The Lakers have a shot at the two seed, but they are going to need to win basically all their remaining games and need Houston to lost a few. Right now, priority no. 1 is holding off the Nuggets and the Warriors for the three seed. Denver is a half game back and the Warriors are a game back. There is still a lot to play for, and both of these teams need this win tonight.
Star watch: Thunder
Well ladies and gentleman, it seems like we might as well just hand SGA the MVP right now. Nikola Jokic is having a fantastic season, bordering historic, but the 32.6 points a game that SGA is scoring and the fact that the Thunder are so far ahead of the rest of the pack in the West seems to be enough for people to have already conceded that the Thunder superstar is going to win his first MVP award. I’m not here to argue whether or not SGA deserves it. He has had a great season, and if the MVP should go to the player on the best team than fine. But no one is dong what Jokic is doing. So if the argument is he doesn’t deserve it because he’s won three already and it’s time to share the love, than I completely disagree.
Star watch: Lakers
We can talk about LeBron and Luka all we want but the unsung hero in a city of stars is Austin Reaves. He used to be a guy that did all the dirty work and was a glue guy. In his fourth year, he is having a revolutionary season and has turned into a certified stud. He is averaging a career high in each important category, and since Luka has come on board in LA, he has gotten even more dangerous. Having two super star scorers is a luxury, but Reaves gives them a third option that can drop 30 points in any given night and that makes the Lakes awfully difficult to defend when LA’s big three are healthy. He's had two straigt games of 30+ and four of his last five games he has gone for 30 or more.
Last game: Thunder
The Thunder went to Houston to take on the Rockets in a battle of the two top teams in the West, and it was the up and coming Rockets who got the best of the NBA’s best team. Jalen Williams had a monster game, dropping 33 points, but SGA had just 22 on 10/22 shooting and OKC got very little production from their bench. OKC scored the first bucket of the game, but the Rockets took the lead early in the first quarter and never let it go. Jalen Green had 34 while Alperen Sengun dropped another 31 to lead the Rockets to a comfortable win over the top team in the league.
Last game: Lakers
Te Lakers hosted the New Orleans Pelicans in their penultimate home game of the regular season and edged them in a tight game as the Luka Doncic led the way with 35 points. The game close until the very end, but the Lakers pulled away in the final minutes of the game despite a great game from Jose Alvarado who dropped 27 points. LeBron chipped in 27 and 8 assists and Reaves had 30 and 7 dishes as the big three delivered in another must win situation.
We are live from OKC
Hello everyone and welcome to Paycor Center where the OKC Thunder have had the Western Conference top seed wrapped up for a while but that hasn’t slowed them down in the slightest. They have won 11 of their last 12 games, but are coming off of a loss to the Houston Rockets which snapped an 11 game win streak. The Lakers have won three of four and are trying to keep their cushion on a pack of teams aiming for the three seed. Tonight they take on a team they will most likely meet in the playoffs at one point or another. This could be a preview of a playoff series to come in the next few weeks
Lakers vs. Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are at the top of the Western Conference with the one seed heading into the playoffs, but that hasn’t stopped them from sweeping through the competition. The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to finish in the top three of the West, but need to keep winning. Today, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder take on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers from Paycom Center and AS English will be with you providing live coverage, stats highlights and analysis.