The Thunder did not panic when their best player went to the bench. They took over.
Oklahoma City pulled away for a 125-107 win over the Lakers in Game 2, grabbing a 2-0 series lead. The turning point came without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the floor.
He picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter and did not return until the fourth. By then, the game had flipped.
“It was amazing,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, via ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “They strung together stops, and they played the right way offensively. I’ve got full confidence in those guys. … No matter who’s on the floor, we can get the job done.”
The Thunder ripped off a 22-4 run during that stretch, fueled by defense and depth.
“Everyone’s ready to go and everyone trusts each other,” Ajay Mitchell said. “When you go out there, you have confidence. Everyone has confidence.”
Mitchell backed it up. He scored 20 points and ran the offense with control, delivering seven points and three assists in the third while Gilgeous-Alexander watched.
Jared McCain gave Oklahoma City another lift. He scored 18 points in just 18 minutes, knocking down four threes.
“Every time I see him shoot, I think it’s going in,” Chet Holmgren said. “He’s got just a certain type of confidence in him.”
Holmgren did his part, too. Twenty-two points, nine rebounds, four steals, two blocks. He anchored both ends and helped push the lead back to double digits for good in the fourth.
“We’ve got guys that are competitors,” coach Mark Daigneault said. “They see the challenges of the game as opportunities and they attack them.”
Austin Reaves returned to form, scoring 31 to lead the Lakers. LeBron James added 23. It wasn’t close to enough.
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