Gilgeous-Alexander’s 28 points spark Thunder's 139-96 rout in one of the Lakers' worst losses ever
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder routed the Los Angeles Lakers 139-96 on Thursday night. Only six times in their storied history have the Lakers been defeated by more points. They fell six points short of their worst margin of defeat ever — a 49-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks in 2017.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning league MVP, got the best of his matchup with Los Angeles' Luka Doncic — the league's scoring leader and one of Gilgeous-Alexander's top competitors for this season's award. Doncic had scored at least 40 points in five of his previous seven games, but he finished with 12 against the Thunder's suffocating defense. Isaiah Joe added 20 points and made six 3-pointers as Oklahoma City shot 53.
9% to turn a matchup between two of the league’s hottest teams into a blowout. The Thunder have now won 16 of 17. The Lakers had won four straight and 13 of 14.
Austin Reaves scored 15 points and LeBron James added 13 for the Lakers. It was a critical game for Oklahoma City. The Thunder entered the night two games ahead of San Antonio in the race for homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs with six games remaining.
In a sign of things to come in the game, it took the Lakers nearly five minutes to make their first field goal. The Thunder led 44-21 at the end of the first behind 14 points from Lu Dort. The Lakers had another shooting drought to start the second quarter, taking a little more than four minutes to make their field goal.