Thunder Complete Sweep, Eliminate Lakers 115-110 in Game 4
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The Los Angeles Lakers’ season ended Monday night as the Oklahoma City Thunder secured a 115-110 victory at Crypto.com Arena, finishing a four-game sweep in the Western Conference semifinals.
Oklahoma City set the tone early, knocking down roughly 60 percent of its shots in the opening minutes. The Lakers countered with a 9-0 burst that became an 18-7 run, allowing Los Angeles to close the first quarter ahead 26-21.
The momentum shifted immediately in the second period. The Thunder scored the first 17 points of the quarter, forcing head coach JJ Redick to burn two timeouts just over a minute apart. Los Angeles finally broke the drought on two LeBron James free throws with 5:38 left before halftime and ultimately went to the locker room trailing 49-45.
James, who rolled his right ankle late in the first half, stayed in the game and helped the Lakers erase the deficit after the break. Though the Thunder opened the third quarter with a 10-4 spurt and Los Angeles committed four turnovers in less than five minutes, three-pointers from James and Rui Hachimura kept the hosts close. Austin Reaves’ free throws later pushed the Lakers in front, and they ended the period up 84-80 — the first time Oklahoma City had trailed entering the fourth quarter this postseason.
The defending champions responded quickly. Rookie guard Jared McCain knocked down two critical three-pointers, the second tying the contest at 92-92. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took over late, with help from Ajay Mitchell, but a three-point play by Marcus Smart briefly put Los Angeles ahead 95-94 with 40 seconds to go.
On the ensuing possession Chet Holmgren slipped behind the defense for a dunk that gave the Thunder the lead for good. Reaves had a potential game-tying three-pointer spin out in the final seconds, and Oklahoma City closed the series at the free-throw line.
The sweep keeps the Thunder unbeaten in their bid to repeat as NBA champions. Historically, the Lakers still hold a 7-3 edge in postseason series against the Thunder franchise, dating back to its days as the Seattle SuperSonics.
Source: LakersNation.com
