53 wins. A first-round upset. LeBron at 41 still giving everything he had. Here’s a full breakdown of a Lakers season that deserved more — and what comes next.
Tag: Austin Reaves
Thunder sweep Lakers, end their season in Game 4
The Oklahoma City Thunder completed a sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena, winning 115-110 in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Los Angeles trailed by 19 in the third quarter before mounting a stunning comeback, only to fall short in the final seconds as Chet Holmgren’s go-ahead dunk with 32 seconds left proved to be the difference.
Third Quarter Kills the Lakers Again as Thunder Pull Away 131-108, Lead Series 3-0
The Los Angeles Lakers came home desperate, down 2-0 and searching for any sign they could solve the Oklahoma City Thunder. For one half, they had it. Then the third quarter happened — and it happened again. Oklahoma City dismantled the Lakers 131-108 Saturday night at a sold-out Crypto.com Arena, pushing the defending champions to a 3-0 series lead in the Western Conference Semifinals. No team in NBA playoff history has ever come back from a 3-0
Oklahoma City Buries Los Angeles, Takes 2-0 Series Lead
The Los Angeles Lakers showed enough in the first half to believe, but the third quarter told the real story. Oklahoma City went on a 29-11 run to erase a halftime deficit and never looked back, pulling away for a 125-107 win to take a 2-0 series lead. The Lakers head home facing elimination pressure with Game 3 on Saturday.
Holmgren Takes Over, OKC Depth Overwhelms Lakers in Game 1
On a night when the Lakers needed more than one man, one man was all they had. LeBron gave them 27 points and everything he had. Holmgren gave the Thunder 24 and a performance that broke the game open in the second quarter. Reaves shot 3-of-16. Vanderbilt left with a gruesome hand injury. OKC’s bench just kept coming and there was nothing LA could do about it.
Lakers vs. Thunder: Never Count Out the Purple and Gold
Nobody gave them a chance against Houston either. The Lakers are walking into Oklahoma City without their star, without the respect of the national media, and without a single person outside of Los Angeles picking them to win. That is exactly the way they like it.
No Mercy in Houston. The Lakers Close the Door On the Rockets
No mercy in Houston. The Lakers buried the Rockets with a dominant second quarter and never let up, with LeBron James orchestrating a masterclass performance and Rui Hachimura providing the knockout blow from deep. Los Angeles advances. Oklahoma City is on deck.
Houston Staves Off Elimination Again, Knocks Lakers to a 3-2 Series
Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason led a second-half surge as the Rockets outlasted Los Angeles 99-93 in Game 5, sending the first-round series back to Houston.
Houston Stops the Sweep and Stays Alive to Force a Game 5 on Wednesday
The Houston Rockets blow out Lakers 115-96 to force Game 5, powered by 24 LA turnovers and an Ayton ejection.
Lakers Fall to Thunder 123-87, Drop Third Straight Without Four Starters
The Thunder made excellence look routine on Tuesday, dismantling a Lakers squad left hollow by injury. With LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Jaxson Hayes all sidelined, Los Angeles lacked the firepower to keep pace with the NBA’s top seed. Behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 25 points, OKC cruised to a 123–87 victory, securing a season sweep and proving that even a 100% healthy Lakers team would have their work cut out for them against this Thunder juggernaut