Anthony Davis showcased his dominance with a stellar performance, notching 27 points and snagging 15 rebounds, while LeBron James contributed 25 points, propelling the Los Angeles Lakers to a resounding 112-105 triumph over the Oklahoma City Thunder in front of their home crowd on Monday.
The Lakers found a winning formula with Austin Reaves, who chipped in with 15 points, and D’Angelo Russell, who added 14, reprising their roles as the team’s dynamic backcourt duo.
This marked their second consecutive game together since they were last paired on November 8th.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander displayed his prowess, putting up 24 points for the Thunder despite being a game-time decision due to a right knee sprain.
Jalen Williams contributed 25 points, and Luguentz Dort added 11 for Oklahoma City, which saw its four-game winning streak come to an end as they embarked on a four-game road trip.
Chet Holmgren’s three blocks during the game set a Thunder franchise rookie record of 98 blocks.
Despite shooting at a blistering 52.4 percent from the floor, the Lakers managed to keep the Thunder at bay, limiting them to a 41.7 percent shooting rate.
At halftime, the game was deadlocked at 50-50, even though the Thunder struggled, shooting just 37.5 percent in the first two quarters.
However, the Lakers surged ahead in the third quarter, outscoring the Thunder 34-26 while shooting an impressive 70 percent from the field, giving them an 84-76 lead.
With 8:52 left in the game, LeBron James, who had returned after missing the previous match with a left ankle strain, drove to the basket to extend the Lakers’ lead to 93-82.
In the final stretch of the game, a 9-1 run by the Lakers, featuring five consecutive points from Rui Hachimura, who contributed 12 points in his second game back from a calf injury, gave the Lakers a comfortable 104-91 lead with 4:24 remaining.
Despite a late surge by the Thunder, who managed to narrow the gap to six points at 106-93 with 3:33 left, they couldn’t complete the comeback.
A crucial missed shot by Gilgeous-Alexander with 1:10 remaining dashed their hopes of cutting the deficit to four.
The Lakers put the game beyond reach when Anthony Davis threw down a dunk, giving them a 108-100 lead with just 50.6 seconds left on the clock.
This victory marked the Lakers’ second consecutive win over the Thunder, following a previous 133-110 defeat to Oklahoma City on November 30th.
