On Tuesday, the Oklahoma City Thunder took advantage of the absence of Los Angeles Lakers superstars Luka Doncic and LeBron James to win 87-123, in a duel that ended up sinking the morale of the Los Angeles Thunder.
The game began with a 27-34 first quarter in favor of the rival, a score that did not surprise the fans at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, as the feeling of an inevitable defeat was flying over the pavilion from the opening jump in the face of critical casualties in the most glamorous squad in the NBA. The most sensitive is that of Slovenian Luka Doncic, who is in Madrid after suffering last Thursday a hamstring injury in his left leg that prevents him from participating in the remainder of the regular season.
Lakers compete without stars, but deflate
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In addition to Doncic’s important absence, the unavailability of Reaves, a key member of the team, was also a major factor.
And the exclusion of veteran LeBron James, who was unable to take the court due to physical problems with his left foot.
Even with the odds against them, the Lakers had their moment of lucidity in the first half of the second quarter.
In which they stood up to their opponents.
At times, they evened the score as the Thunder faced a team devoid of stars.
Even so, this version of the Angelino team was gradually deflating and reached halftime trailing by 18 points (47-65).
(Filed under: Thunder crushes Lakers without LeBron and Doncic)
Everything goes to ballast
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But as predicted by the recent history, the locker room once again proved to be fateful for the Angelinos.
In a script that mirrored what happened last week, except for Doncic’s injury, the third quarter dashed any glimmer of hope for the Lakers.
Weighed down by the opponent’s physical superiority.
The offensive disconnection and the facilities granted on defense allowed the Oklahoma team to settle the game in a fast lane.
With a devastating 63-92 that made any attempt at a comeback insurmountable.
Duelo que terminó de hundir la moral del conjunto angelino
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Although his performance was not particularly brilliant by his usual standards, Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was crowned the game’s top scorer with 25 points (10 on 15 shooting).
In a duel in which he was able to manage the pace without having to force his best version with the Thunder.
Japan’s Rui Hachimura (15 points, 7 of 10 shooting), whose participation gained prominence, especially in the final stages of the game, along with Drew Timme (11 points, 4 of 9 shooting) still not used to the competitive rhythm of the elite, acted as improvised hosts for the Lakers, who were outplayed by the Oklahoma City Thunder’s offense.
Loss complicates Lakers’ season finale
The bitter defeat against one of the West Coast’s most serious rivals, compounded by the absence of its key players, adds turbulence to the Californian franchise’s journey in the final stretch of the NBA season.
With just four chapters left in the regular season, the Lakers see how difficult it is to manage their lead in the standings.
Although they start from a base that gives them a direct pass to the final series, J.J. Redick’s team was hoping in recent weeks to ratify the solidity exhibited in that luminous interval between February and March, when they won seven straight games.
With information from EFE
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