Shai Gilgeous-Alexander powers Thunder past injury-hit Lakers
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 25 points and eight assists, while Isaiah Joe knocked down six three-pointers as the Oklahoma City Thunder secured a dominant 123-87 victory over the injury-depleted Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.
Jared McCain contributed 15 points, and Chet Holmgren added 15 points along with 10 rebounds for the league-leading Thunder, News.Az reports, citing ESPN.
The win completed a season sweep of the Lakers and marked Oklahoma City’s sixth consecutive victory and 18th in their last 19 games.
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The Lakers recorded their lowest-scoring output of the season while missing several key players, including Luka Dončić, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Marcus Smart, and Jaxson Hayes, who collectively average 94.6 points per game. Dončić and Reaves are sidelined for the remainder of the regular season, while the 41-year-old James sat out to rest his arthritic left foot.
Rui Hachimura led the Lakers with 15 points, and Drew Timme added 11 for the Pacific Division champions, who have now dropped three straight games since losing Dončić and Reaves to injury last week in Oklahoma City.
Prior to the injuries, Los Angeles had won 13 of 14 games and was closing in on the third seed. Dončić is currently in Europe receiving treatment for a Grade 2 left hamstring strain.
Rookie Adou Thiero scored a career-high 10 points for the Lakers, who managed to keep the game competitive until midway through the second quarter. However, the Thunder closed the first half with a decisive 23-5 run, while Los Angeles managed just 22 points over the following 24 minutes.
Tensions also flared on the Lakers’ bench, as head coach JJ Redick and Jarred Vanderbilt had a heated exchange after Redick called a timeout and removed Vanderbilt just 16 seconds into the second quarter. Assistant coaches and players intervened until the situation cooled, and Vanderbilt did not return to the game.
The Thunder will face the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, while the Lakers travel to take on the Golden State Warriors on Thursday.
By Nijat Babayev
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