In a season defined by their resiliency, the Lakers ended the year in a fitting manner.<\/p>\n
With their backs firmly against the wall, the team responded with its stiffest punch. LA knocked OKC back on its heels in the third quarter for the first time this series, then went toe-to-toe with them in the fourth.<\/p>\n
Even if the final score amounted to the same result as the preceding three contests, the Lakers could head home knowing they went out giving it all they had. Moral victories mean nothing in the playoffs, but LA can have plenty of pride in how its season ended.<\/p>\n
So, let\u2019s dive into the loss<\/a>. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A \u201cB\u201d grade represents the average performance for that player.<\/p>\n 40 minutes, 24 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 4 turnovers, 1 foul, 8-18 FG, 2-6 3PT, 6-8 FT, -17<\/p>\n The schedule certainly seemed to catch up to LeBron as the series played on, but it still was an impactful showing in Game 4. He was still able to get to the rim, though finishing there was a different story, as evidenced by his final shot of the game \u2014 and as a Laker? \u2014 late in the game.<\/p>\n He also had a really untimely turnover late after a rebound. But considering what was asked of him at 41 years old? He held up as well as you could hope.<\/p>\n 43 minutes, 25 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 5 fouls, 9-15 FG, 4-8 3PT, 3-3 FT, -2<\/p>\n More than one Laker had the game of their life with Rui at the top of that list. He capped off a truly incredible postseason run with the biggest game of his career. No shot was more important than his four-point play with under two minutes to go, but every basket he had felt huge.<\/p>\n 21 minutes, 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 fouls, 3-3 FG, -2<\/p>\n It was a nightmare series for Ayton, who ended it on a sour note. Whatever hopes this team had for him as a center of the future disappeared in this series. He was thoroughly outplayed nearly every second he squared off with Chet Holmgren or Isaiah Hartenstein.<\/p>\n His player option means he\u2019ll hold the cards at first as to whether he\u2019s a Laker next year, but I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if this was a one-and-done partnership.<\/p>\n 43 minutes, 27 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, 8 turnovers, 5 fouls, 8-16 FG, 3-7 3PT, 8-9 FT, -6<\/p>\n Without question, the eight turnovers and five fouls were bad. And yet, there\u2019s an argument to be made that this was both his best game of the series and, subsequently, the best game of his career, given the context.<\/p>\n Fresh off an injury that ruled him out for a month, Reaves returned to play the best team in basketball in a role he wasn\u2019t in when he went down, a nearly impossible task. He carried the Lakers offensively throughout the contest in his Luka-lite role and did so about as well as you could reasonably ask.<\/p>\n And if his final three fell, there\u2019d have been no question this was his best game ever.<\/p>\n 36 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 6 turnovers, 5 fouls, 2-8 FG, 0-4 3PT, 1-1 FT, +5<\/p>\n It wasn\u2019t a great Smart game. He turned the ball over six times and committed five fouls. And when your starting backcourt has 14 turnovers and 10 fouls, you\u2019re not going to win many games.<\/p>\n But he made just enough of the little plays to make him valuable, then made one really big play with his late and-one layup.<\/p>\n 24 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 foul, 2-5 FG, 1-2 3PT, +15<\/p>\n A relatively quiet night for Kennard, who returned back to his regular form in the playoffs after a strong Game 3. He had a nice reverse layup when the Lakers were rolling, but he also was being picked on relentlessly by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander when they shared the floor.<\/p>\n It would have been nice if the Lakers could have gone to someone else in those minutes, but, alas.<\/p>\n 27 minutes, 18 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 6-8 FG, 6-6 FT, -1<\/p>\n The last Laker to have the game of his life was Jaxson Hayes, who was possessed by some otherworldly spirit in this one. He had multiple huge poster slams and a huge, momentum-shifting block of Ajay Mitchell. Considering he\u2019s spent the vast, vast majority of his Lakers tenure being unplayable in postseason games, this was a welcome, and shocking, surprise.<\/p>\n Jarred Vanderbilt, Adou Thiero, Maxi Kleber<\/p>\n With 10 functioning fingers, Vando was borderline unplayable this series. In 2:45 on Monday, he was a -12. Thiero was given another chance in Game 4, but two of his offensive possessions included him cutting down the lane in front of a teammate and airballing a 3-pointer, so that, too, was short-lived.<\/p>\n Kleber only came in to set a screen late to help Austin get a good look at the game-tying shot.<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to believe the same guy who played five guys in the second half of a playoff game is the one who had the Lakers battling the defending champions to the wire on Monday. Against a team with clearly more talent and depth, Redick schemed the team into a position to win on both ends of the floor.<\/p>\n If there\u2019s any takeaway from these playoffs, it\u2019s that Redick\u2019s errors of last year can be written off as rookie blunders.<\/p>\n Monday\u2019s DNPs: Bronny James, Dalton Knecht, Jake LaRavia, Nick Smith Jr.<\/p>\n Monday\u2019s inactives: Luka Don\u010di\u0107<\/p>\n You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude<\/a> or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social<\/a>.<\/p>\n