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Lakers one game from exit as Thunder and Cavs win
TL;DR
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 131-108, taking a 3-0 lead in the playoffs. The Lakers now need to make NBA history by overcoming this deficit to avoid elimination.
Key points
- Thunder lead series 3-0 against Lakers
- Lakers face elimination in playoffs
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 23 points
- Ajay Mitchell adds 24 points for Thunder
- LeBron James scores 19 points for Lakers
Oklahoma City ThunderLos Angeles LakersShai Gilgeous-AlexanderAjay Mitchell
The Oklahoma City Thunder moved to the brink of another Western Conference Finals appearance with a dominant 131-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers to take a commanding lead in the play-offs.
The Lakers now face the daunting task of needing to become the first team in NBA history to overturn a 3-0 deficit., external
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played his part for the top-seeded Thunder with 23 points and nine assists, but team-mate Ajay Mitchell was generally more accurate in his shooting and added 24 points and 10 assists.
The Lakers had 19 points from 41-year-old LeBron James, but he was not at his best as a team that again competed without the injured Luka Doncic proved unable to stem the tide in a one-sided series.
The Thunder were NBA champions last year and look the team to beat once more. Gilgeous-Alexander had his highest-scoring game of the series despite missing nine of his first 11 shots. His form in the play-offs has been down on his return in the regular season, when he averaged 31.1 points per game.
"Obviously, I haven't been my best in performances, but I think I've been able to help the team win and that's most important," said Gilgeous-Alexander.
"As long as we win. If the rest of the play-off run or the rest of my career look like what it looked like the past few games, I'd be OK with it because we won games."
In the Eastern Conference, Donovan Mitchell produced a 35-point performance to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 116-109 win over the Detroit Pistons.
Victory at Rocket Arena was vital for the fourth-seeded Cavaliers, who cut the Pistons' series lead to 2-1.
Cleveland built a 16-point lead by half-time and, despite a Detroit surge led by Cade Cunningham's 27-point triple-double, featuring 10 rebounds and 10 assists, Mitchell's late free throws secured the win.
The New York Knicks are a game away from progress after a 108-94 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, and the San Antonio Spurs lead the Minnesota Timberwolves 2-1 after a 115-108 win.
Q&A
What does the Lakers' loss to the Thunder mean for their playoff chances?
The Lakers are now one game away from elimination and must overcome a 3-0 deficit, a feat never achieved in NBA history.
How did Shai Gilgeous-Alexander perform in the game against the Lakers?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 23 points and provided nine assists in the Thunder's victory over the Lakers.
Who were the standout players in the Thunder vs. Lakers playoff game?
Ajay Mitchell led the Thunder with 24 points and 10 assists, while LeBron James scored 19 points for the Lakers.
