Oklahoma City stays unbeaten with victory over Lakers originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder continued their dominant playoff run Thursday night with a convincing 125-107 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal series.
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With the win, Oklahoma City now holds a commanding 2-0 series lead as the matchup shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Saturday. The Thunder remain undefeated in this year’s postseason after capturing the NBA title last season, and they continue to show why many consider them the league’s most complete team.
Balanced scoring once again powered Oklahoma City’s offense. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren each scored 22 points, while rising guard Ajay Mitchell contributed 20 points in an efficient performance. The Thunder consistently attacked the Lakers in transition and controlled the pace throughout much of the game.
Thunder bench dominates
However, one of the biggest differences came from Oklahoma City’s bench production. The Thunder reserves overwhelmed Los Angeles’ second unit 48-18, providing critical energy and scoring depth that the Lakers could not match. Rookie Jared McCain sparked the bench with 18 points, while Cason Wallace added 12 points and strong perimeter defense.
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Despite the final score, the game highlighted just how deep Oklahoma City has become. The Thunder finished with an 18-point victory, yet they were only plus-five with Gilgeous-Alexander on the floor. That statistic reflects the team’s ability to dominate even when their superstar is resting, a major advantage during a long playoff run.
For Los Angeles, Austin Reaves led the way with 31 points, continuing his strong postseason play. LeBron James added 23 points, but the Lakers struggled defensively and failed to contain Oklahoma City’s balanced attack.
Now facing a 2-0 deficit, the Lakers return home needing a strong response to avoid falling deeper behind against a Thunder team that appears to be gaining momentum with every game.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
