OKC Thunder Unable to Overcome 26-Point Deficit in Loss to Lakers

In the first half of the game, the Oklahoma City Thunder lost control of the game and never got it back. The Los Angeles Lakers’ four-game losing streak was ended on Saturday night when the Thunder defeated them, 129-120. With six players scoring in double figures, the Lakers also put an end to the Thunder’s

winning run of three games. Leading the Lakers’ offensive charge were superstars

LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who scored 40 and 26, respectively. After

coming off the bench, Rui Hachimura scored 21.

In the fourth quarter, the Thunder narrowed the gap to eight points, but they were unable to generate enough stops to draw closer. The more the game went on, the more 3-pointers the Thunder missed. They made 13 of 41 shots from beyond the arc, squandering several clear opportunities. In the third quarter, Oklahoma City quickly called a timeout after James drained a deep three on the fast break to increase the advantage to fourteen. A few minutes later, Mark Daigneault was forced to call

another timeout after James’ lob to Davis during a transition gave the team a 20-

point lead. The Lakers’ lead grew to 26, but at the start of the fourth quarter,

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led a run that reduced the margin to 16.

Despite finishing with 34 points and seven assists, he was unable to lead the Thunder to victory. Chet Holmgren battled one of the best big men in the NBA, Anthony Davis, even though he was not always victorious. Against the Lakers, the rookie for the Thunder recorded 19 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks. Los Angeles led by twelve points at the break because to Rui Hachimura’s 16 points in the first half. Los Angeles’ 13-3 surge in the second quarter was largely responsible for that.

Three All-Stars made an immediate impact on the game during the first quarter of back-and-forth play, with Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 12 points and dishing out five assists. James and Davis combined for 15 points in the first quarter of a game Davis referred to as a “must-win,” as the Lakers fought with intensity from the start. With seconds remaining in the first quarter, Jalen Williams made a baseline fadeaway to increase Oklahoma City’s lead to three points. Williams finished with 28 points and contributed to igniting a stale offense in the first half. After celebrating Christmas Day off, the Thunder will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.