The Los Angeles Lakers have pushed their record back to .500 for the first time since January 2022. Their critical 116-111 win over the plucky Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday at Crypto.com Arena showed just how far they've come over the past 14 months (and since their 2-10 start to the 2022-23 season).

The Lakers, playing without D'Angelo Russell and LeBron James, grinded out a tight contest against an opponent with whom they entered the evening tied in the Western Conference standings. In doing so, they clinched the season tiebreaker over the Thunder, which could have big repercussions down the line.

Los Angeles now sits in eighth place in the West with eight games to play. They're 9-5 since the All-Star break, despite missing LeBron for 12 of those games.

The Lakers' improved vibes, versatility, and grittiness were on full display in this one, as has often been the case since the trade deadline. Anthony Davis, Dennis Schroder, and Lonnie Walker IV especially stood out against the Thunder, each for different reasons.

Anthony Davis

AD finished with 37 points on 15-of-21 shooting and grabbed 15 rebounds, while also shooting 9-of-11 from the free-throw line. He had three dunks in the opening minutes of the game, and his early forcefulness rubbed off on his teammates.

“Just demanding the ball, playing downhill, being aggressive to the rim, being active defensively, rebounding,” said Darvin Ham. “He was huge. He was phenomenal.

“We want to love and live in the paint. And it starts with him — not settling. … It has a ripple effect. I thought that energy was contagious.”

“Must-win game for us in the standings, to get to .500,” said AD. “That’s a tough team on the other side. They play well, they play fast. But we had to come out and get this game. … We have no choice but to win basketball games.”

Dennis Schroder

As he's repeatedly done this season, Schroder provided an invaluable lift for his shorthanded squad. Starting in place of Russell, Schroder consistently steadied the ship with high-level offensive orchestration.

When the Lakers needed buckets, Schroder delivered. He started the fourth quarter with seven straight points as Davis rested, then made the biggest shot of the game — a midrange jumper to put the Lakers up by five with a minute and change to go.

“That's just who he is: playing big in big moments,” said Ham. “He lives and thrives in those moments.”

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The most memorable sequence of the game was signature Dennis the Menace. Late in the third, he dove all-out to win a 50-50 ball in the open court — which got the Lakers bench on its feet — only for the Lakers to quickly give it back. Before the Thunder could turn the opportunity into an easy bucket, Schroder hustled back to intercept Josh Giddey's go-ahead pass. Schroder drew a foul, leading to a Thunder timeout and sending the crowd into a frenzy.

“Everyone’s loud,” Schroder said about the energy in the building. “I’ve seen the bench and everybody’s just standing up and it's hyped. That’s all I’m saying, being a team, everyone just being happy for each other, that’s what we need. If we’re doing that, we’re at our best and can accomplish a lot with that if we keep doing that going forward.”

Lonnie Walker IV

Ham said pregame that he was excited to get Walker some burn in lieu of Russell. Walker — an early-season sparkplug — had been a DNP-CD in five of the last seven games and had only seen 11 total minutes since March 7th before this game.

You wouldn't know it from his sharpness. LW4 dropped 15 points in the first half and finished with 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting in 24 minutes.

“I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge Lonnie Walker IV,” said Ham. “He’s the definition of what a pro is supposed to be at this level. He didn’t have to come out and worry about getting ready — he’s been staying ready. If he doesn’t have that performance we don’t win this game.”

“He's the guy who won us the game, it's that simple,” Schroder said about Walker. “Everybody thanked him for that tonight. This is his win.”

Walker acknowledged the challenges of the last month but didn't ease off his training or preparation. He said he placed his trust in God, his teammates, and his coaches.

“I would say these last few weeks, I’ve had my ups and downs. I’ve had my times where I haven’t really been myself, where I’ve been down. So I’m very blessed and honored to have an opportunity and play to the best of my capability.”

Ham specifically credited the Lakers' “overly positive” vibes for their fortitude and energy. Walker pointed out that the Lakers have made a collective effort to socialize outside of basketball and bond since the trade deadline. Whatever they're doing, it's working.

“I love these guys and I'm happy to be playing with them,” said Walker.