LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers faced the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena without Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, and Jaxson Hayes, as the injury-depleted squad looked to hold their ground in a Western Conference standings race with little margin for error. They couldn’t. The Thunder pulled away for a 123-87 victory, handing Los Angeles its third consecutive loss.
A Promising Start
Despite the circumstances, the Lakers came out competing. Drew Timme scored the team’s first five points and finished the first quarter with 10, providing some early stability at center. Adou Thiero knocked down a three-pointer and had his best shift as a Laker, showing off the athleticism and defensive energy that has made him an intriguing piece. A Vanderbilt triple and a Kobe Bufkin three kept Los Angeles within striking distance, trailing just 34-27 after one.
The second quarter was more of the same early on. Rui Hachimura tied the game at 36 with a three-pointer at the 9:24 mark, and Luke Kennard knotted it again at 42 with a finger roll layup, forcing the Thunder into a timeout. For a moment, the Lakers looked like they might pull off something unexpected.
Then Oklahoma City took over.
The Wheels Come Off
The Thunder closed the half on a 21-5 run to take a commanding 65-47 lead into the break. The run was compounded by a scary moment when Adou Thiero took an elbow to the face from Chet Holmgren and had to leave the locker room, though he returned in the second half with a bandage on his forehead. Tempers also flared between head coach JJ Redick and players during early timeouts, a sign of the frustration building on the Los Angeles sideline.
At halftime, Drew Timme led LA with 11 points. Rui Hachimura had 9. Kennard had 8 points and a remarkable 8 assists.
No Path Back
The third quarter extinguished any remaining hope. Oklahoma City outscored Los Angeles 28-15 in the period, with Isaiah Joe absolutely torching the Lakers from beyond the arc. Joe finished the quarter with 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting from three, a performance the shorthanded Lakers had no answer for. The Lakers went scoreless for over four minutes in the third and found themselves down 30 with 2:30 remaining in the quarter. The Thunder led 93-62 heading into the fourth.
The final buzzer brought a 123-87 defeat.
Bright Spots
In a losing effort, a few names stood out. Rui Hachimura finished with 15 points and 5 rebounds. Drew Timme ended with 11 points and provided veteran steadiness in a starting role he was never expected to fill under these circumstances. Luke Kennard was outstanding in his facilitation role, finishing with 10 points and 9 assists. And Thiero, even after absorbing that blow from Holmgren, came back and kept competing. Against the defending champions, without four of their key contributors, the Lakers showed fight. They just did not have enough.
Standings Implications
The loss drops the Lakers to 50-29 and marks their third straight defeat. They now trail No. 3 Denver by a full game, with the Nuggets sitting at 51-28. Los Angeles will be tied with Houston tonight if the Rockets beat Phoenix, though the Lakers hold the tiebreaker in that scenario. Their next chance to stop the skid comes Thursday on the road against Golden State.
Notable Stats of the Game
Rui Hachimura: 15 points, 5 rebounds
Luke Kennard: 10 points, 2 rebounds, 9 assists
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC): 25 points, 1 rebounds, 8 assists
Isaiah Joe (OKC): 18 points, 2 rebounds
Upcoming Game for the Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers (50-29) @ Golden State Warriors (37-24)
Date: Thursday, April 9, 2026
Location: Chase Center • San Francisco, CA.
Tip-Off: 7:00PM PST/10:00PM EST
