The Los Angeles Lakers are predictably down 3-0 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals, but they’ve been more than competitive against the reigning NBA champions — at least in the first halves.
In Game 2, JJ Redick’s team carried a one-point lead (58-57) into halftime, only to lose by 18 points (125-107). On Saturday night in Game 3 at Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers once again took a slim 59-57 advantage into the break in front of their home fans. The outcome, however, followed a familiar and painful script: a 23-point defeat (131-108) at the hands of the only undefeated team remaining in the 2026 playoffs.
The numbers tell a brutal story. According to OptaSTATS, the Lakers have now made unwanted NBA history, becoming the first team in league annals to lead at halftime in back-to-back playoff games yet lose both contests by a combined 40 or more points. The second-half collapses in Games 2 and 3 totaled a staggering 41-point margin of defeat.
Despite the lopsided final scores, Los Angeles showed encouraging signs on both ends of the floor. Defensively, the Lakers executed a disciplined strategy against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, holding the reigning NBA MVP to 7-for-20 shooting and a series-high 23 points. Offensively, they delivered one of their strongest performances of the series, shooting 47% from three-point range (14-for-30) and recording a series-best 31 assists.
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Yet, as has been the case throughout the series, a competitive game evaporated quickly once the Thunder’s deep bench entered the fray. Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe combined to knock down six of eight three-pointers in the second half, powering Oklahoma City’s decisive surge.
“The Lakers have kept reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in check for the first three games of the series and have nothing to show for it,” noted ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. The aggressive scheme featuring Marcus Smart shadowing SGA off the ball and frequent double-teams succeeded in limiting the superstar’s efficiency but ultimately proved futile against the Thunder’s collective firepower.
The breakout star for Oklahoma City was second-year guard Ajay Mitchell, who led all scorers with 24 points, 10 assists, and three steals while committing zero turnovers. Per ESPN Research, Mitchell joined Magic Johnson, Chris Paul, and Tyrese Haliburton as the only players since 1990 to post at least 20 points, 10 assists, and three steals without a turnover in a playoff game.
“He’s just finding his footing,” SGA said of his young teammate. “It’s obviously his first run in the playoffs. It’s obviously a different ballgame. He’s just getting more and more comfortable as the game goes on, as the series goes on. I said this before, he had a rough [Game 2 in Phoenix], but he was so confident out there. I was never worried that he was going to figure it out, and he’s showing that.”
With Jalen Williams sidelined by a hamstring injury, Mitchell has seized the starting opportunity with poise. Williams himself expressed confidence in the young guard’s readiness.
“He’s ready for the moment,” Williams said. “Especially me being out, it’s like embrace that moment. The team wants you to shoot those shots. The team wants you to be aggressive. When you’re aggressive, especially him, you end up making the right play more times than not. And he made the right play every single time. He’s a hell of a player.”
As the series shifts to Game 4 on Monday night — tipping off at 10:30 p.m. ET — the Lakers face an unenviable task. Down 3-0 against a Thunder team that has yet to lose in these playoffs, Los Angeles must find a way to sustain their first-half competitiveness for an entire game while containing Oklahoma City’s bench explosion. History, statistics, and momentum all favor the Thunder, but the Lakers’ halftime leads suggest that the gap, while significant, is not insurmountable in stretches. Whether they can translate that into a full-game effort remains the central question in what has become a daunting uphill battle in Los Angeles.