Oklahoma City, OK — Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura said Thursday night that his team’s defensive game plan is too narrowly centered on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, allowing the rest of the Oklahoma City Thunder to dictate the Western Conference semifinal series.
“We’ve been focused on Shai a lot, but we’ve got to give all these other guys more respect,” Hachimura told reporters after the Lakers fell, 125-107, in Game 2 at Paycom Center. “They’re great players. They’re making all the plays while Shai wasn’t in the game.”
Thunder surge without their MVP
Gilgeous-Alexander collected his fourth foul on a Flagrant 1 midway through the third quarter, and Austin Reaves converted three free throws to give Los Angeles a five-point edge. From there, Oklahoma City outscored the Lakers 32-14 to close the period and never trailed again.
Rookies Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain ignited the comeback, while All-Star center Chet Holmgren controlled the paint. Mitchell, McCain and Cason Wallace combined for 50 points, capitalizing on a stretch in which Gilgeous-Alexander logged just 27 minutes overall.
Lakers losing ground when Gilgeous-Alexander rests
Through two games, the Lakers are minus-9 in Game 1 and minus-15 in Game 2 with Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench, even though the reigning MVP is averaging a modest 20 points. Hachimura acknowledged the drop-off in intensity once Los Angeles stops double-teaming the Thunder star.
“We can’t relax when he’s out,” he said. “We still have to keep our intensity up. All these guys can make plays—small stuff, rebounds, all that. We can’t have little mistakes.”
Series overview
Oklahoma City now leads the best-of-seven matchup 2-0, winning both contests by 18 points. Game 3 shifts to Los Angeles, where the Lakers will try to regain momentum and keep their postseason hopes alive.
Source: Lakers Nation
