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Thunder Rout Lakers to Take 3-0 Lead in West Semifinals

A decisive third quarter underscored Oklahoma City’s depth, leaving Los Angeles in a 0-3 hole no NBA team has overcome.

Overview

  • Powered by a 131-108 road win in Game 3 on Saturday, Oklahoma City moved to 7-0 this postseason and took a 3-0 series lead in Los Angeles.
  • Ajay Mitchell broke out with 24 points and 10 assists without a turnover, while MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 23 points and nine assists as seven Thunder players scored in double figures.
  • The game flipped after halftime when the Thunder opened the third quarter on a 21-6 burst and won the period 33-20, turning a two-point deficit into full control.
  • Turnovers again doomed the Lakers as their 17 miscues fueled 28 to 30 Thunder points and Oklahoma City also dominated the paint scoring 54-32, highlighting the gap in size and pace.
  • Los Angeles played without leading scorer Luka Dončić due to a hamstring injury and got 21 from Rui Hachimura, 19 from LeBron James, and 18 off the bench from Luke Kennard, with Game 4 set for Monday at Crypto.com Arena as the Lakers face elimination.