The Oklahoma City Thunder remained unbeaten in the NBA play-offs after beating the Los Angeles Lakers 125-107 to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference semi-finals on Thursday (7 May).
The defending champions Thunder, who improved to 6-0 in the post-season with another stellar display of all-round basketball, have never lost a play-off series after being up 2-0.
LeBron James and the Lakers were swept by Oklahoma City 4-0 during the regular season. Game 3 is on Saturday in Los Angeles.
Reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren scored 22 points each for the Thunder. Austin Reaves led the Lakers with a career play-off high 31 points, while the 41-year-old James added 23 points.
The difference in bench scoring proved huge as the Thunder’s depth came to the fore.
Led by Jared McCain, who contributed 18 points, Oklahoma City’s subs gave them 48 points in total. The Lakers got less than half that from their bench with 20 points.
“This is the next man up mentality,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, who was limited to 28 minutes because of foul trouble. “We go through ups and downs all year, with injuries, guys in and out of the line-up. Doesn’t faze us. Guys continue to play – and guys continue to play their strengths – to help each other out there.
“We’ve got to be the aggressor. I feel like they were playing with more force. They were attacking harder, harder in close-outs, making quicker decisions, playing with a better sense of urgency in the first half, especially.
“As long as we take care of that we should have our foot in the right direction.”
The Lakers were furious with the officiating, mobbing the referees after the game.
“We’re down 2-0,” James said. “Are they still not good when he’s on the floor? They’re just doing what they’ve been doing.”