The Lakers lost to the Thunder 108-90 in Game 1 of their playoff series, struggling offensively with a 41.7% shooting rate and 18 turnovers. Game 2 is crucial for Los Angeles as they aim to bounce back.
Key points
Lakers lost to Thunder 108-90 in Game 1
Lakers shot 41.7% from the field
Los Angeles committed 18 turnovers
Game 2 is crucial for Lakers' playoff hopes
Los Angeles LakersOklahoma City Thunder
Los Angeles Lakers fans were hoping for a big surprise in Game 1 of the Purple and Gold's second-round NBA playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday. But instead, everything went according to plan, at least for the Thunder.
In the early minutes, the Lakers were very competitive. They kept pace with Oklahoma City and trailed by only five at the end of the first quarter. But the defending world champions went up by 10 early in the second quarter, and from that point on, Los Angeles was never able to mount a serious challenge, as it fell in a 108-90 defeat.
Los Angeles' defense wasn't terrible in this game. The Thunder scored a modest number of points, and L.A. was able to hold Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning league MVP, to 18 points while forcing him into seven turnovers by trapping him on the perimeter. But the Lakers were weak offensively -- they made just 41.7% of their field-goal attempts and one-third of their 30 3-point tries while attempting an anemic 13 free throws. Perhaps the biggest concern for them coming into this series was turnovers, and they gave up the ball 18 times, which led to 20 Oklahoma City points.
Game 2 will be at Paycom Center on Thursday, and if the Lakers are to have any shot at winning this series, they will absolutely have to win that contest.
Hachimura was one Laker not named LeBron James who did a good job of supplying offense in this game. He scored 18 points and shot 7-of-13 from the field and 3-of-6 from 3-point range. However, he went scoreless in the second quarter when the game got away from his team.
Q&A
What was the final score of the Lakers vs. Thunder Game 1?
The final score was 108-90 in favor of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
How did the Lakers perform offensively in Game 1 against the Thunder?
The Lakers shot 41.7% from the field and made only one-third of their 30 three-point attempts.
What are the key concerns for the Lakers after their Game 1 loss?
The Lakers need to address their high turnover rate, which was 18 in the game, leading to 20 points for the Thunder.
When is Game 2 of the Lakers vs. Thunder playoff series?
Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday at Paycom Center.
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Smart was aggressive offensively in this game. He consistently looked to shoot the basketball, both from distance and from short range off the dribble. Unfortunately, he wasn't hitting his shots consistently.
He was just 4-of-15 overall and 2-of-8 from downtown, and he ended up with 12 points in 32 minutes. Otherwise, he made a decent impact with seven assists, four rebounds and four steals. But the Lakers will need efficient scoring from the veteran guard throughout this series.
Ayton did a nice job offensively early with 10 points in the first 15 minutes of the game. But his 10th point would be his last in this game. He missed all five of his shot attempts in the second half and finished 5-of-11 overall from the field, and he didn't attempt a single free throw.
In 27 minutes, he had 11 rebounds, two assists and one block. But on the other side, Chet Holmgren scored 24 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked three shots, and Ayton got his fourth foul with 7:53 left in the third quarter, which forced him to sit for the rest of the period.
Los Angeles needs a better overall effort from Ayton, especially offensively, and it needs him to play the physical interior defense he gave it throughout its first-round series versus the Houston Rockets.
The Lakers need Reaves to play like the All-Star level performer he was during the regular season. Instead, he had trouble putting the ball through the hoop on Tuesday.
He didn't score his first basket until just before the midway point of the second quarter. Overall, he was just 3-of-16 from the field and missed all five of his 3-point attempts, limiting him to eight points. Reaves did contribute five rebounds and six assists, but L.A. needs as much offensive production as it can get to put a sizable dent in the Thunder's airtight defense.
LeBron James: B-plus
James helped the Lakers stay competitive early with 12 points in the first quarter. He ended up with 27 points on 12-of-17 shooting and made half of his six attempts from beyond the arc, and he also logged four rebounds, six assists and one steal.
One expects James to produce at his usual level throughout this series. But no matter his age, he cannot do it by himself, and others will need to carry their weight offensively.
Kennard needs to be a spark plug in this series, but in Game 1, he was more like a dying battery. In 29 minutes off the bench, he attempted only four shots and made one of them, giving him a modest seven points. He did grab five rebounds and add one assist and one steal, but he needs to return to delivering the hot shooting he provided early in the series versus Houston.
There wasn't a lot wrong with Hayes' effort in this game. He drew fouls near the basket, and he obtained six rebounds in 16 minutes. But the Lakers needed more than the three points on 1-of-3 shooting that he ended up with, and they could've also used more rim protection and overall defense from him, as he didn't block a single shot.
As has been the case all too often, LaRavia gave Los Angeles next to nothing in Game 1. He took two shot attempts, making one of them, and in 14 minutes, he had three points, one rebound, one steal and one block.
Vanderbilt played six minutes and had two points and one rebound. With 5:51 left in the second quarter, Vanderbilt tried to block an Isaiah Hartenstein dunk and ended up hurting his hand. He immediately headed back to the locker room and was ruled out for the rest of the game with a finger injury.
