The Los Angeles Lakers left Paycom Center on April 2, 2026, with a 139-96 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and head coach JJ Redick said unforced errors set the tone from the opening tip.
“When the game started, we frankly had unforced turnovers,” Redick told Spectrum SportsNet after the blowout. “They had a lot more shots on goal to start the game.” The Lakers committed eight turnovers in the first quarter, allowing the Thunder—currently the NBA’s top team at forcing miscues—to build an early gap that never closed.
Lu Dort hit multiple three-pointers in the opening minutes, and Oklahoma City continued to punish Los Angeles from long range. The Lakers managed to “settle in offensively in the second quarter,” according to Redick, but could not slow the Thunder at the other end.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points on 25 attempts in just 30 minutes, and Oklahoma City’s supporting cast stayed hot from beyond the arc. Although Los Angeles held Gilgeous-Alexander to limited free-throw attempts, the Thunder’s perimeter shooting widened the margin.
The night worsened for the visitors when Luka Doncic exited in the third quarter with a hamstring injury. With little momentum and a depleted rotation, the Lakers never threatened down the stretch.
Los Angeles had entered the matchup on the heels of a strong March. Redick credited the entire roster for that run but acknowledged that Saturday’s performance fell short on both ends of the floor. The team now turns its attention to Sunday’s road game against the Dallas Mavericks.
Source: LakersNation.com
