OKLAHOMA CITY — The Lakers had fairness, incomes it in a dominant win Sunday afternoon towards the perfect crew within the West.
That they had causes to punt on Tuesday’s rematch with the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, particularly a sport on Wednesday in Dallas and a schedule that demanded they win simply two extra occasions to safe the third seed of their convention, placing them in sturdy place for a deep playoff run.
And Monday, after they issued an damage report with the majority of their rotation listed as “questionable,” it certain appeared just like the Lakers have been going to let big-picture pondering get in the best way of the sport in entrance of them.
However the message from JJ Redick was clear.
Lakers ahead LeBron James passes excessive of Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder ahead Jalen Williams Tuesday in Oklahoma Metropolis.
(Kyle Phillips / Related Press)
“We can control whether or not we get the [No. 3] seed and we’ve got four chances to get two wins,” the Lakers coach stated earlier than Tuesday’s sport. “I’d like to win them all. So yeah, that’s the thought.”
The Lakers performed onerous, they performed with ardour. They made errors and turned the ball over however they fought. They and the Thunder delivered on the type of big-game depth you’d need when two of the NBA’s prime groups meet in April.
After which Luka Doncic acquired ejected.
“It was a great game. It was a great game that unfortunately didn’t get to finish out the way that I think every basketball fan would want because of some decision making on some individuals’ parts,” Redick stated.
Official J.T. Orr ejected Doncic, who already had been referred to as for a technical foul within the second half, after Doncic scored to place the Lakers up within the fourth and yelled in Orr’s path. The Lakers and Doncic argued he was yelling at a courtside fan however it didn’t matter. Orr thought he was the goal, in line with a postgame assertion from crew chief Tony Brothers, and Doncic’s night time was executed.
And basically so have been the Lakers, headed to a 136-120 loss and compelled to accept a break up.
The Thunder outscored them by 17 within the 7 minutes 40 seconds after Doncic acquired ejected.
“You can see it that it happened. But I never got a fan ejected. Never. But if he’s gonna talk, I’m gonna talk back like always,” Doncic stated. “So that had nothing to do with the ref. So I didn’t really understand.”
Doncic acquired his first technical arguing for Jarred Vanderbilt when the Lakers’ reserve ahead felt he was fouled. One possession after Doncic was thrown out after his second technical, Orr referred to as Vanderbilt for a taunting technical foul after blocking Alex Caruso’s shot on the rim.
“The game was just weird as hell after that moment,” LeBron James stated.
The Thunder blitzed the Lakers within the last six minutes, pulling away for what ended up wanting like a straightforward win, the environment clearly deflated from Los Angeles’ perspective.
“I mean it’s a playoff game,” guard Austin Reaves stated of the on-court power. “I said the atmosphere was amazing. And everybody was competing. … And for the game to kind of get unraveled in that situation, it was unfortunate, like I said, but we have to be better as a group to control that from happening.”
James completed with 28 factors, Reaves had 24 and Doncic had 23. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma Metropolis with 42 factors, the Thunder turning the Lakers’ 19 turnovers into 29 factors.
Regardless of the turnovers, the Lakers managed the power from the Thunder — a crew the Lakers beat badly Sunday — within the first half of the rematch. They largely matched the Thunder shot for shot, with Doncic and Reaves main the best way, and within the third quarter, the Lakers’ protection took over, holding the Thunder to 17 factors.
However following Doncic’s ejection within the fourth, the Thunder made a push. Redick stated after the sport he was too gradual to name outing to attempt to snuff out Oklahoma Metropolis’s momentum, and the sport shortly slipped away.
There’s no time for emotional hangovers. The Lakers play Doncic’s former crew, the Mavericks, on Wednesday in Dallas, nonetheless needing to stack wins with a view to assure themselves a top-three seed.
“Of course, there’s gonna be a lot of emotion for me,” Doncic stated. “I don’t really know what to expect. I don’t know how I’m gonna feel, honestly. I’m looking forward to being back in Dallas, obviously, with the fans, seeing my teammates — ex-teammates. It’s gonna be very emotional for me, for sure.”
