JJ Redick on Lakers getting 'blitzed' without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
The key run that buried the Lakers in Game 2 versus the Thunder came when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was on the bench in foul trouble.
With 10:34 left in the third quarter of Game 2 between the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, the Lakers held a 66-61 lead. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had just been hit with a flagrant 1 foul, which was his fourth personal foul, and he headed to the bench for the rest of the game. The Lakers were hitting from the perimeter at a high rate, and it looked like they had a golden opportunity to take control of the game and even the series.
Instead, the Thunder gradually snatched control of the game. They ended the period ahead 93-80, and Los Angeles was unable to make any sustained runs the rest of the way. The result was a 125-107 loss for L.
A. and a lot of hard feelings, especially toward the referees working the game. Ironically, L.
A. held Gilgeous-Alexander down, just as it did in Game 1, as he had a modest 22 points, but it lost the game when he was off the floor. Coach JJ Redick talked about that decisive run that occurred when Oklahoma City's franchise player was on the bench.