LOS ANGELES — After the Los Angeles Lakers dropped Game 3 of their Western Conference second-round series to the Oklahoma City Thunder on May 9 at Crypto.com Arena, veteran guard Marcus Smart said the only way to extend the matchup is to play with maximum urgency in Game 4.
“Energy. We gotta stay with it. Gotta be even more desperate than we are,” Smart told reporters following Saturday’s 124-113 loss, which left the Lakers trailing 3-0 in the best-of-seven series. “We gotta stay together and stay composed and empty the tank, just leave it all on the court.”
Experience with 3-0 hole
The 32-year-old guard has been here before. In 2023, while with the Boston Celtics, Smart’s team fell behind 3-0 to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals before forcing a Game 7. Although Boston eventually lost, that run remains the deepest comeback effort in NBA history, and Smart believes the Lakers can draw from a similar mindset.
Third-quarter struggles
Los Angeles has kept pace with Oklahoma City through the opening halves of each contest but has been outscored in every third quarter. The Thunder’s depth has produced decisive scoring runs, while the Lakers’ rotation has shown signs of fatigue.
Smart has spent much of the series guarding soon-to-be two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, yet acknowledged the difficulty of containing Oklahoma City’s multiple scoring options. Offensively, Los Angeles continues to miss injured star Luka Dončić, particularly against a Thunder perimeter group loaded with elite defenders.
Focus on Game 4
Game 4 is set for Monday night in Los Angeles. A Thunder victory would complete the sweep; a Lakers win would send the series back to Oklahoma City for Game 5. Smart insisted that elimination scenarios are not occupying his thoughts.
“To be honest, I haven’t even thought about it,” he said. “I’m trying not to get my ass kicked out there. That’s where my focus is. I’ll worry about that after this series or whenever these playoffs are over. Right now, this series is the most important thing to me.”
Despite a season disrupted by injuries, the Lakers maintain that they will fight to the final buzzer. Smart’s message to his teammates is straightforward: play desperate, stay united and leave nothing in reserve.
Source: LakersNation.com
