The Oklahoma City Thunder played tremendous defense on Tuesday to take down the Los Angeles Lakers 108-90 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
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LeBron James was hot early and got the Lakers on the board first, but it didn’t take long for OKC’s spectacular defense to take over.
Despite James’ scoring burst, the Thunder maintained their championship playstyle and took a five-point lead to end the first frame.
The second quarter was a similar affair. OKC’s extended rest caused them to have a colder night on offense, which allowed the Lakers to keep it competitive.
Still, the Thunder played disruptive defense all night and forced the Lakers into turnover issues. By halftime, OKC was ahead by eight.
Much like some of the other matchups we’ve seen this postseason, the third quarter was not pretty for either side in terms of scoring. This was the case for wildly different reasons, though.
While the Thunder simply couldn’t shake off their shooting struggles, they found the shots they wanted within their offensive system. Their defense made that virtually impossible for a Lakers squad that was missing Luka Doncic.
OKC entered the final quarter with a 12-point advantage, and pulled away even further in the fourth. The Lakers put up just 37 points in the second half.
Chet Holmgren had a big night for OKC with 24 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks.
For the Lakers, James finished with 27 points, four rebounds and six assists.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
