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In the playoffs, rotations shrink, but perhaps Lakers head coach JJ Redick will have to open his up a bit. The Lakers had only eight players who logged at least 10 minutes and with so many subpar performances, someone else needed to be called upon.
The Thunder had 10 players play more than 10 minutes and they got great production from Jared McCain. LA could’ve put Nick Smith Jr. in the game for a stretch to see if he could ignite the offense, especially in a game where Austin Reaves gave the team nothing.
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Yes, it’s a gamble, but clearly every option has to be explored if the Lakers are going to pull off an upset against the Thunder.
So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.
LeBron James
36 minutes, 27 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 12-17 FG, 3-6 3PT, 0-1 FT, -6
LeBron set the tone early for the Lakers, scoring immediately, knocking down threes, and getting LA ahead 7-0. He stayed aggressive and was efficient, scoring 27 points on 12-17 shooting.
Once again, LeBron came to play and was far and away the best player in a purple and gold uniform. Hopefully, other starters follow his lead and up their game.
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Grade: A
37 minutes, 18 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 7-13 FG, 3-6 3PT, 1-2 FT, -21
Hachimura played at his expected level. He knocked down shots and was a three-level scorer for the Lakers. Despite the disappointing loss, Hachimura reached a satisfactory level of consistency.
Grade: B
27 minutes, 10 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 turnover, 4 fouls, 5-11 FG, -4
Ayton was aggressive early and had an overall nice game with a double-double. His defense against the Thunder bigs was good, and while many things went wrong for the purple and gold, Ayton wasn’t one of them.
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Grade: B
32 minutes, 12 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, 4-15 FG, 2-8 3PT, 2-2 FT, -10
Smart was a bit of a roller coaster. He had some great defensive moments, was fighting for loose balls and…
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Publish date : 2026-05-06 03:48:00
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