In what was arguably OKC’s sloppiest performance of the playoffs, the Lakers were worse. The Thunder still found a way to handle Los Angeles 108-90, taking a 1–0 lead in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Personally, I’d point to the slow start. After a week off following the sweep of the Phoenix Suns, that question of rest versus rhythm showed up early. And for a quarter, it looked like OKC was still trying to find its timing.
Luckily for OKC, the Lakers made too many crippling mistakes to capitalize, including a 3-of-16 shooting night from Austin Reaves.
But the biggest factor in OKC’s 18-point Game 1 win?
They were solid in the non-Shai minutes.
Non-Shai Gilgeous-Alexander minutes have mattered all season, and that hasn’t changed in the playoffs. Dating back to Game 3 against Phoenix, Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain have been steady in those stretches.
That wasn’t a fluke.
My proclaimed “Light Twins” turned a 9–2 run to close the first quarter into a 14–2 run early in the second, combining for five quick points. Mitchell kept it going, scoring eight in the quarter and keeping OKC afloat. By the time the starters checked back in, the bench had held its ground at +2.
The same thing showed up to start the fourth, when Shai typically gets his final stretch of rest.
Again, Mitchell took on the scoring load, with McCain playing off him and making the right plays around the action. It mirrored what OKC usually gets from its starting group, just from a different unit.
In the 12 minutes without Shai, Mitchell and McCain combined for 12 points and helped the second unit post a +7 margin.
In a game that never fully felt clean, that stretch might’ve been the difference in OKC maintaining control from start to finish.
