The Oklahoma City Thunder (65-14) moved a step closer to clinching the NBA's best record and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs with a 136-120 win over the Los Angeles Lakers (45-34) on Tuesday, April 8, at Paycom Center.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 42 points, helping Oklahoma City bounce back from a blowout loss to the Lakers on Sunday. Jalen Williams added 26 points as the Thunder pulled away in the fourth quarter after Luka Doncic was ejected with 9:05 remaining following his second technical foul. At the time of the ejection, the Thunder led 107-108 and outscored the Lakers 29-12 the rest of the way.
Doncic had 23 points before being tossed. LeBron James led the Lakers with 28 points, and Austin Reaves chipped in 24.
Oklahoma City shot 64.7% in the first half and led 80-72 at the break, matching the fourth-highest-scoring half in franchise history. The Lakers briefly surged ahead in the third, with Doncic’s deep 3-pointer giving them an 88-86 edge. They took a 98-97 lead into the final quarter, but the Thunder’s pace and offense overwhelmed them late.
Gilgeous-Alexander hit a clutch step-back 3 to push the lead to 117-112 with around six minutes left, and the Thunder never looked back. The team finished shooting 50% from the field and surpassed the 1995-96 Seattle SuperSonics (64 wins) for the most victories in a single season in franchise history.
Up next, the Lakers visit the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday in Doncic’s first matchup against his former team since being traded for Anthony Davis on Feb. 2. The Thunder travel to Phoenix to take on the Suns the same night.
