The Oklahoma City Thunder turned a close game into a blowout Tuesday night, using a decisive second-quarter run to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 123-87 at Crypto.com Arena.
Despite the Lakers playing without LeBron James, Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, and Marcus Smart, the game remained tied at 42 midway through the second quarter.
That’s when head coach Mark Daigneault called a timeout, and the Thunder took control.
Coming out of the break, Alex Caruso hit a three-pointer, Jared McCain added a basket, and Oklahoma City never looked back. The Thunder outscored the Lakers 81-45 the rest of the way.
“I thought offensively we were a little more purposeful and intentional coming out of that,” Daigneault said. “We just had some sloppy possessions… we made an emphasis to run more intentional offense. We scored, and that helps us set our defense and got the ball rolling in the right direction.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 25 points, while Isaiah Joe knocked down six three-pointers off the bench.
McCain added 15 points and continued to emphasize the team’s chemistry and maturity.
“Being able to just play free… it just feels right when I’m out there with them,” McCain said. “No matter who’s playing, it’s always about us… I think that carries us through.”
McCain also credited off-court bonding, including team dinners and time spent together on the road, as a key factor in Oklahoma City’s chemistry.
“Being friends off the court… that builds chemistry and shows up on the court,” McCain said.
With the win, Oklahoma City improved to 63-16 on the season and extended its dominant stretch late in the year.
The Thunder now head across Los Angeles to face the Los Angeles Clippers. A win would clinch the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.