OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander served as a cheerleader during the most important stretch of the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s 125-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Thursday’s Game 2 of their second-round series.
The Lakers had a five-point lead when Gilgeous-Alexander picked up his fourth foul only 86 seconds into the second half, forcing the reigning MVP to the bench for the rest of the third quarter.
By the time Gilgeous-Alexander returned to start the fourth quarter, the Thunder led by 13. Oklahoma City seized command of the game thanks to a 22-4 run soon after Gilgeous-Alexander’s exit, the key to the Thunder taking a 2-0 series lead and remaining undefeated this postseason.
“It was amazing,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, who matched Chet Holmgren with a team-high 22 points. “They strung together stops, and they played the right way offensively. I’ve got full confidence in those guys. Those guys know how to win basketball games. They’ve proven that. We’ve proven that. No matter who’s on the floor, we can get the job done.”
The Thunder’s success during the stretch without Gilgeous-Alexander was a testament to two of the defending champions’ biggest strengths: a dominant defense that turned seven turnovers into 11 points in the quarter and remarkable depth.
“Everyone’s ready to go, and everyone trusts each other,” guard Ajay Mitchell said. “That really helps us. When you go out there, you have confidence. Everyone has confidence, and you just go out there and play.”
Mitchell, who wasn’t in the playoff rotation as a rookie last year and has replaced injured star Jalen Williams in the starting lineup during this postseason, ran the offense with precision and poise while Gilgeous-Alexander cheered from the bench. Mitchell had seven of his 20 points and three of his five assists during the third quarter.
Jared McCain, the 10th man in the rotation who was acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers at the trade deadline, hit a pair of 3-pointers and a pull-up jumper in 2 minutes, 28 seconds as the Thunder’s lead surged to double digits. He finished with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting (4-of-5 on 3s) in only 18 minutes.
“Every time I see him shoot, I think it’s going in,” Holmgren said of McCain. “I know it’s going up at this point, as it should. If you get those shots off and make them at that type of clip, it’s probably the best play for us. So, credit to him, he’s got just a certain type of confidence in him to come in the game cold after a lot of time sitting long stretches and then just bomb and make shots.”
Holmgren had another outstanding all-around performance, adding nine rebounds, three assists, four steals and two blocks. Oklahoma City outscored the Lakers by 19 points in Holmgren’s 33 minutes, including an 11-point edge during his 10 minutes in the third quarter, when Holmgren scored eight points.
The Lakers pulled within five points midway through the fourth quarter, but Holmgren responded by hitting a 3-pointer over Deandre Ayton and adding a pair of free throws on the next two possessions, pushing the Thunder’s lead back to double digits for good.
“We’ve got guys that are competitors,” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. “They see the challenges of the game as opportunities, and they attack them.”
