The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Los Angeles Lakers 125-107 in Game 2 to take a 2-0 series lead, and it didn’t start out pretty.
OKC didn’t have its best first half. The offense felt off at times, and the Lakers’ defensive pressure on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander did exactly what it was supposed to do: make things uncomfortable.
But this team finds different ways to win.
The Thunder flipped the game in the third quarter, going on a 32-15 run that completely changed the momentum. The most important part? Shai wasn’t even on the floor for it.
After picking up his fourth foul just over a minute into the second half, Shai went to the bench for the rest of the third. That’s when OKC’s role players stepped up.
Jared McCain hit two big threes during that stretch, helping shift the energy. He finished with 18 points and went 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.
Ajay Mitchell, who continues to start in place of Jalen Williams as he recovers from a hamstring injury, had another strong night. He finished with 20 points and 6 assists, along with a +18.
Cason Wallace helped close things out in the fourth, scoring 8 of his 12 points to create separation and put the game away.
The Lakers’ defensive plan has been clear through two games: focus on Shai and try to take him out of it.
At times, it’s worked.
But OKC keeps responding the same way. If Shai is limited, someone else steps up.
And through two games, that’s been more than enough.
