OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) \u2014 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder routed the Los Angeles Lakers 139-96 on Thursday night in a game in which NBA leading scorer Luka Doncic left due to injury.<\/p>\n
Only six times in their storied history have the Lakers been defeated by more points. They fell six points short of their worst margin of defeat ever \u2014 a 49-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks in 2017.<\/p>\n
Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning league MVP, got the best of his matchup with Doncic \u2014 one of Gilgeous-Alexander\u2019s top competitors for this season\u2019s award. Doncic had scored at least 40 points in five of his previous seven games, but he finished with 12 points on 3-for-10 shooting from the field and 1-for-7 shooting from 3-point range against the Thunder\u2019s suffocating defense.<\/p>\n
Doncic left the game with a left hamstring injury in the middle of the third quarter. Lakers coach JJ Redick said he will have an MRI on Friday.<\/p>\n
Austin Reaves scored 15 points and LeBron James added 13 for the Lakers.<\/p>\n
Isaiah Joe added 20 points and made six 3-pointers as Oklahoma City shot 53.9% to turn a matchup between two of the league\u2019s hottest teams into a blowout. The Thunder have now won 16 of 17. The Lakers had won four straight and 13 of 14.<\/p>\n
It was a critical game for Oklahoma City. The Thunder entered the night two games ahead of San Antonio in the race for homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs with six games remaining.<\/p>\n
In a sign of things to come in the game, it took the Lakers nearly five minutes to make their first field goal. The Thunder led 44-21 at the end of the first behind 14 points from Lu Dort.<\/p>\n
The Lakers had another shooting drought to start the second quarter, taking a little more than four minutes to make their field goal. The Thunder reached their season high point total for a first half when they took a 76-41 lead on a layup by Gilgeous-Alexander with 3:25 left in the second quarter.<\/p>\n
Oklahoma City led 82-51 at the break, falling a point short of the Thunder regular-season record for points in a half. They scored 83 in the first half of a game against Minnesota in 2021.<\/p>\n
Joe hit three 3-pointers in an 85-second flurry to put the Thunder up 99-61 in the third quarter. The teams played reserves throughout the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n
The Lakers will host a rematch on April 7.<\/p>\n
Up next<\/p>\n
Lakers: Visit the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Thunder: Host the Utah Jazz on Sunday.<\/p>\n
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