Lakers Show Progress, But Let One Slip Away Against Thunder
The Lakers had a chance to flip the script Monday night in Oklahoma City - and for a stretch, it looked like they were going to do just that. After getting run off the floor in their previous matchup with the Thunder, this one felt different.
Gritty. Tactical.
Controlled. For a while, it looked like the Lakers had finally cracked the code.
But then came the fourth quarter - and with it, a reminder that progress in the NBA isn’t always linear.
Let’s start with what worked. In the third quarter, the Lakers leaned into their physicality, and it paid off.
They went old-school, bruising basketball - putting the ball in LeBron James’ hands, letting him hunt mismatches, and watching him go to work. LeBron, ever the master of reading the floor, took advantage of smaller Thunder defenders, powering his way to the rim or drawing extra attention and kicking out to open shooters.
That stretch flipped the game. The Lakers didn’t just get back in it - they took control.
But basketball is a four-quarter game, and in the final frame, the Lakers couldn’t-or didn’t-stick with the formula that got them there.
Head coach JJ Redick didn’t mince words postgame, admitting the team failed to get LeBron involved when it mattered most.
“Down the stretch at times to start the fourth, I didn’t think we did a good job of getting LeBron the ball,” Redick said. “Some of that was we called plays and we didn’t execute.
Some of that was just not having just the recognition. Him playing against smaller players was how we got back in the game and we didn’t do a good job of getting him the ball.”
To be fair, Oklahoma City made adjustments. They weren’t going to let LeBron keep feasting on mismatches without a response. The Thunder brought help, switched more selectively, and made it tougher for LeBron to isolate and dominate.
Still, the Lakers didn’t help themselves. After putting up 10 points on just four shots in the third - plus three assists - LeBron saw his touches drop off dramatically in crunch time.
In the final four minutes, he got off just three shots, hitting two. That’s not enough volume when your best player is cooking and the game is on the line.
This was a winnable game, and the Lakers knew it. They found something that worked.
They imposed their will. But they didn’t stick with it, and in a league where games are often decided by a handful of possessions, that’s all it takes.
There are positives to take away - the physicality, the defensive intensity, the way they responded after an earlier blowout loss to this same Thunder team. But there’s also a lingering sense of a missed opportunity. In a tightly contested Western Conference, those can add up fast.
For a team still trying to find consistency, Monday night was a step forward - but it also served as a reminder that execution down the stretch is what separates the good from the great. And right now, the Lakers are still straddling that line.