Thunder roll past Lakers 131-108 in Game 3, take commanding 3-0 series lead
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The Los Angeles Lakers fought to the final buzzer on Sunday, May 10, but the Oklahoma City Thunder relied on overwhelming offense to secure a 131-108 victory in Game 3 of their playoff matchup at Crypto.com Arena.
The result puts the Thunder ahead 3-0 in the best-of-seven series and leaves the Lakers one loss away from elimination. Los Angeles has never overcome such a deficit in franchise history, and no NBA team has erased a 3-0 hole since the league adopted the format.
Oklahoma City’s balance proved decisive once again, as all five starters reached double figures before the fourth quarter began. The Thunder built a double-digit cushion in the second period, stretched the margin to 20 after halftime and never allowed the Lakers closer than 14 the rest of the way.
Los Angeles leaned heavily on its veteran core, but consistent defensive breakdowns and a 15-point gap from beyond the arc doomed any comeback bid. The home crowd’s energy spiked briefly after a third-quarter run, yet Oklahoma City answered with a 12-2 burst that effectively ended the suspense.
Game 4 is scheduled for Tuesday night in Los Angeles. A Thunder win would complete the sweep and send them to the next round; a Lakers victory would force the series back to Oklahoma City for Game 5.
Source: New York Post
