It was a rough night at the Paycom Center, as the Los Angeles Lakers endured an absolute blowout at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder, losing 121-92. After the loss, Luka Doncic blamed himself while speaking in the press conference.
“Probably one of the worst this season,” Doncic acknowledged. “Wallace did a great job on me. They're champions for a reason. They showed that today.”
After taking a 4-0 lead to start the game, everything went haywire for the purple and gold. After that, the Thunder started making most of their shots, and it helped build a 30-18 lead after the first quarter. It got worse in the second quarter, as the Lakers fell behind 70-38 at halftime. The Thunder outmatched the Lakers in every way, giving them a significant advantage.
Doncic finished with 19 points while shooting 7 for 20, including 1 for 7 from beyond the arc. Additionally, he had seven rebounds and seven assists while also turning the ball over four times. Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves each had 13 points. On defense, the Lakers could not stop the Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was dominant in this one, scoring 30 points while shooting 10 from 18 from the floor, including 2 for 7 from the triples. Likewise, Ajay Mitchell added 14 points, while Isaiah Joe sparked them off the bench with 21.
The Lakers were unable to keep up with the Thunder, and it showed from the first quarter. There was a lot of blame to go around, but the Lakers' leading scorer took accountability.
“I think we need to be more ready. It started with me,” Doncic stated.
Doncic also acknowledged their next opponent, the New Orleans Pelicans. He said the Lakers needed to be more psyhical to start games, even against a team like the Pelicans. Also, he reiterated that the Lakers need more energy to start games to avoid falling into an early hole they cannot climb out of. The Lakers will continue their five-game road trip on Friday against the Pelicans. Then, they will finish it off on Saturday against the Milwaukee Bucks.
