LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers dropped a 119-110 decision to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night, a matchup at Crypto.com Arena that highlighted the gap between the two Western Conference clubs.
The Thunder played without All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, while the Lakers were missing Luka Dončić. Despite the absences, Oklahoma City controlled key areas, finishing with a 45-37 edge on the glass — including 14-9 in offensive rebounds — and converting 12 steals into a six-point advantage in points off turnovers.
Forward Jalen Williams paced the Thunder with a game-high 23 points. LeBron James led Los Angeles with 22, but a 26-19 fourth quarter sealed the outcome for Oklahoma City.
James: Thunder’s Energy ‘Championship’ Level
After the loss, the 41-year-old James credited the Thunder’s late-game poise. “They made shots,” he said. “We got some really good looks in the fourth quarter, just weren’t able to come through. They got some 50-50 balls, extra possessions. Sometimes it’s just make or miss, and they made more.”
James singled out Oklahoma City’s perimeter defenders — Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso, Luguentz Dort and Williams — for extending pressure and pushing the Lakers out of their offensive sets. “They’re number one in defense, statistically,” he noted. “A lot of those guys can really get to the ball and push your offense out of the scoring area.”
Asked to compare the two squads, James was blunt. “That’s a championship team right there. We’re not,” he said. “We can’t sustain energy and effort for 48 minutes and they can. That’s why they won a championship.”
Redick Sees Execution, Not Effort, as Issue
Head coach JJ Redick, often critical of the Lakers’ intensity this season, said Monday’s defeat stemmed more from late-game execution than energy. The Lakers fell to 119-110, their offense stalling as open looks failed to drop in the final period.
The Lakers and Thunder will meet twice more this season, with Los Angeles searching for answers to close the gap on a conference rival James now labels the benchmark.
Source: LakersNation.com
