Thunder 131, Lakers 108: The Day After Report
PHOTOS⚡THUNDER | NBA Play-by-Play | CourtSketch Box Score
Postgame Bolts
- This entire series has had one common theme: the Lakers hang with OKC for one half, then the Thunder blitz LA in the second half. Combination of OKC's depth, ability to flip a switch and the Lakers' older legs and lack of depth.
- SGA’s jumper was atypically cold to start Game 3 but he was been excellent in every other aspect and his shots started falling.
- Lakers continue to sell out to stop SGA and he’s making them pay with his playmaking. Creating advantage with his gravity while scoring and playing D.
- Ajay Mitchell is a second round sophomore who has been the #3 scorer and #2 playmaker in the playoffs for the defending champs. Just an incredible trajectory.
- In a game with soon to be 2 time MVP SGA, 4 time MVP LeBron James, All Star Chet Holmgren and Austin Reaves...the best player on the court was last year’s #38 overall pick from Belgian Waffle University. Mitchell in Game 3: 24 PTS 10-17 FG 2-4 3PT 4 REB 10 AST 3 STL 0 TO
- SGA on Ajay: “It might be a shock to the world, but this is no shock to us.”
- Chet Holmgren getting hit in the face on the opening tip is a new personal record. Got the nightly face bump over with right away. Efficient.
- Cason Wallace's first handful of minutes in Game 3: 11 PTS. 4-4 FG. 3-3 3PT. Oh and just mucking everything up for the Lakers on the defensive end.
- Imagine Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with an Austin Reaves whistle.
- Lu Dort picked up 3 fouls in 2 minutes to open up the 2nd half. That made 4 fouls on Dort. He had to go to the bench. Surprising calls considering the physicality that was let go in the first half.
- Lakers made a run to get it within 5 points at the end of the 3rd quarter and it seemed we might have a tight one down the stretch.
- Then Isaiah Joe splashed back to back 3s to make it 90-79 before the 3rd quarter buzzer and OKC snatched the game right back.
- Free throw totals in Game 3 Lakers: 18-25 Thunder: 8-10 Free throw totals this series Lakers: 46-59 Thunder: 40-48 No idea how podcasts, social media and First Things First are going to fill their content space the next 2 days.
- Thunder margins of victory over the Lakers this regular season + playoffs: 29 PTS 9 PTS 43 PTS 36 PTS 18 PTS 18 PTS 23 PTS
- JJ Redick: “They’ve kicked our ass three straight games. They’re an incredible basketball team.”
- Thunder are 3-0 in Round 2. They are 7-0 in the playoffs. Opportunity for back to back sweeps on Monday night.
One Key Takeaway: Ajay & Shai Making Life Easy
We knew the Thunder's defense would hold up in the playoffs. Per usual, all NBA defenses have tightened the screws on the offenses, and Oklahoma City is no exception. OKC's 108.8 postseason DRTG would still have ranked league-best in the regular season. But while most everyone else's offense has plummeted, the Thunder's 117.6 ORTG has jumped to 127.6 in the playoffs--a number that would be good enough for best of all time.
If you're wondering how this could happen while Jalen Williams has missed most of the action, here's the equation: Shai + Ajay. Plus Chet, plus iHart, plus Caruso, plus JoeCain, plus...you get the idea.
Shai is the best scorer on the planet, and the best overall player in the world. Having another guard like Mitchell to help power the offense is just unfair. Before the playoffs started, I wrote:
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