Lakers Fight but Fade in 4th vs OKC

Written by Malcolm Xavier of The Lakers Room

Another nationally televised game for the league with the top stars missing, im sure Adam Silver is thrilled. The Lakeshow look to extend their win streak to 4 games as they inch closer to All Star Weekend. No Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for defending champion Oklahoma City, no Luka Doncic for the Lakers. Luka may return tomorrow vs San Antonio (Adou Thiero also for that matter). Tonight LA comes in heavy underdogs to OKC with Reaves still on a minutes restriction and minus the league's top scorer A win would keep them tied in the the loss column with Denver and Houston for third best in the West and gain a game on the West leading Thunder. A loss would give OKC a 2-0 season a series lead after blowing the Lakers out by 30 in a contest that was never competitive back in November.

Cayson Wallace started the scoring with a drive to the bucket that Laravia responded to with a rainbow three that Chet Holmgren immediately answered from deep to put OkC up 5-3 early. Hartenstein stole a lazy LeBron pass to Ayton on the second early Lakers turnover to push the lead to four. The Lakers responded with a quick 7-2 run on buckets from Rui, LeBron and a three pointer from Marcus Smart to go up 10-9 before the Lakers took a timeout after a the teams traded stops. Reaves entered with 6:42 to go in the first and quickly found Ayton down low for a dunk the before hitting his first bucket on a turnaround on a ridiculous fadeaway voer Lou Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein scored four for the Thunder and LA led 16-13 after another Ayton score down low. OKC countered with an 8-2 run capped by a 27 foot bomb from Isaiah Joe to give the Thunder a 21-18 lead. Luke Kennard tied the score up on his first three point attempt on a designed action. Reaves delivered an and one before Isaiah Joe and Caruso engineered a 7-0 run to lead 31-26. LA, however closed the quarter on a 4-0 run to end the first down one at 31-30.

Second quarter after almost two minutes the score was tied 36-36 after LeBron found Vanderbilt down low for a 1 foot reverse layup. Isaiah Joe Score on a layup before LEBron responed to tied the score with a 16 foot pull up. OKC proceeded on a 14-0 run to take a 52-38 lead from this point on helped by threes from Alex Caruso, Isaiah Joe and a dunk on an easy run to the hole from Chet Holmgren which forced a Lakers timeout. Marcus Smart stopped the run momentarily to cut the lead back to eleven on an and one. OKC has 23 bench points half way through the second quarter. Caruso made a driving layup before a Deandre Ayton and one on a puback cut it back to eleven again. Lou Dort missed one of two free throws before Jaxson Hayes got a trip to the line after drawing a foul on Jalen Wiliams to cut it to 55-45 with 4:18 remaining in the half. Jalen Williams drew a foul on Vanderbilt after a Hayes offensive foul and missed one of two at the line before a 5-0 run from LA capped on a Reaves step back three after breaking down Dort for the second time along with a LeBron signature tomahawk cut the lead to 56-52. Cason Wallace and Luke Kennard traded pullup jumpers before a Lu Dort 3 gave OKC a 61-54 lead that Cason Wallace pushed to 9. Hayes scored on an alley oop from Reaves to get it back to 7 with 51 second remaining in the half. Two Jalen Williams free throws and buckets by Kennard and Jalen Williams respectively closed the half at 67-58. Reaves led the Lakers with 12 points and 6 assist off the bench. Jaxson Hayes and LeBron both pitched in 8 first half points.

Jalen Williams scored a layup to open the second half befroe a Rui three pointer cut the lead to 69-61. LeBron got fouled in the act by Wallace and made both to cut the lead to six. Lu Dort responded with a deep shot to push the lead back to nine followed by two Hartenstein free throws to get i t to 74-63. Marcus Smart stopped the bleeding with a 24 foot three. to start a 7-0 run capped by a LeBron JAmes bucket to get the lead to 74-70, Smart fouled Williams in the act who made both free throws to push the lead to six before a Jake Laravia three pointer cut the lead to three and forced an OKC timeout with the Thunder up 76-73. After Wallace missed a three out of the timeout for OKC LeBron drove strong to the rim to cut the lead to one, the Lakers turned the momentum to an 12-1 lead on 6 straight points by Larvia four on free throws and one down low on an agressive banker. It was the Lakers first lead since 26-24. LeBron scored four also in the sequence before the other Jaylin Williams scored to stop the run bu the Lakers took the lead 85-79. Jaylin Williams hit another three to cut the lead back to one possession 85-52. LeBron and Laravia have combined for 21/27 Lakers third quarter points. Hayes scored on a layup to puh it to 87-82 to cause another THunder timeout. Out of the Timeout the Thunder went on a 5-- run to tie it up off a Jaylin Williams three and two Isaiah Joe free throws with 3:15 remaining in the third. Reaves was called for a technical foul with 2:16 remaining after arguing a foul that should have been called resulting in a turnover. OKC took the lead momentarily before a Jaxson Hayes tip in and two Chet Homlgren free throws traded the lead back and forth to put OKC up 90-89 with one and a half minutes left in the third. LA took the lead back briefly on a pair of Austin Reaves free throws, Caruso hit a bomb with 4 seconds left for OKC to take the Lead back 93-91 to close the quarter for the Thunder.

Marcus Smart began the scoring in the fourt hwith a 23 foot three pointer on a LeBron dish. After OKC lost a challge LeBronmissed badly which led to a Caruso driving layup. The Thunder led by one before Deandre Ayton drew a foul on Chet Holmgren he missed both. Caruso and Smart traded three pointer and OKC lead 98-97 with 8:33 remaining when Laravia entered the game again after his hot third quarter. The Lakers won a challenge had to waste their second challenge with 8:07 left on an obvious what should have been called out of bounds on Hartenstein. (Their second successful challenge of the quarter). Reaves gave LA a 99-98 lead before a Hartenstein putback gave it right back to OKC 100-99. The most eventful sequence for the Lakers after giving back the lead was the chirping between LeBron James and former Lakers fan favorite Alex Caruso, I say that because fro 7:24 to go in the fourth quarter until the 2:24 left in the fourth the Lakers only scored once more on a LeBron James layup. The Thunder championship defense clamped down and they closed the game on a 10-2 run to lead the game 109-101. Jalen Willliams scored 5 clutch points down the stretch and match clutch three point makes with Jaylin Williams to close the Lakers out who fought hard before falling apart. OKC walked to a 119-110 victory in the end. They play tomorrow night in the second night of a back to back against th San Antonio Spurs with Luka Doncic hopeful to return. LeBron finished with 22 points 10 assist and 6 rebounds in the losing effort.