Lakers struggle offensively in Game 1 loss to Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Lakers were far from perfect with their game plan execution during Tuesday’s 108-90 Game 1 loss to the Thunder at Paycom Center.

But they did enough to hang around against the defending NBA champions.

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They disrupted Thunder star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s offensive rhythm with aggressive defensive coverages.

They took care of the ball in the first half, which helped them keep the score close.

The Lakers were far from perfect when it came to their game plan execution during Tuesday’s 108-90 Game 1 loss to the Thunder at Paycom Center. AP

But they did enough to hang around against the defending NBA champions. AP

But it wasn’t enough to pull off the victory, with coach JJ Redick pulling his main rotation players with 1:45 remaining with his team trailing 105-87 after watching his team struggle to put together an effective offense for most of the second half.

“I don’t think there was a turning point,” Redick said. “It was a general theme throughout the night: When we made game-plan mistakes, it bit us.”

The Lakers scored just 37 second-half points after having 53 points in the first two quarters.

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LeBron James led the Lakers with 27 points on 12-of-17 shooting to go with 6 assists, 4 rebounds.

Rui Hachimura had 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting while Deandre Ayton added a 10 point-11 rebound double-double, but the offense was stuck in the mud for most of Tuesday night.

LeBron James led the Lakers with 27 points on 12-of-17 shooting to go with 6 assists, 4 rebounds. AP

Austin Reaves (8 points on 3-of-16 shooting to go with 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 turnovers) struggled. So did Marcus Smart (12 points on 4-of-15 shooting to go with 7 assists and 4 rebounds).

And the Lakers didn’t get much scoring from their bench, which only produced 15 points compared to the Thunder’s 34.

The Thunder were led by a 24 point-12 rebound double-double from Chet Holmgren, while Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell both scored 18 points.

Austin Reaves (8 points on 3-of-16 shooting to go with 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 turnovers) struggled. So did Marcus Smart (12 points on…

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Publish date : 2026-05-06 03:26:00

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