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How Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ajay Mitchell led Thunder past Lakers in Game 3
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- How Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ajay Mitchell led Thunder past Lakers in Game 3
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The Oklahoma City Thunder moved within one win of the Western Conference Finals after a 131-108 road win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 on Saturday night. Oklahoma City improved to 7-0 in the postseason and took a 3-0 series lead, a deficit no NBA team has ever overcome.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 23 points, nine assists, four rebounds, one steal and two blocks in 33 minutes. Although he opened the game shooting 2-for-11, the NBA MVP still finished 7-for-20 from the field, 3-for-7 from three-point range and 6-for-7 at the free-throw line. Oklahoma City is now 27-1 since the beginning of February in games Gilgeous-Alexander has played.
Ajay Mitchell put together the best playoff performance of his career with 24 points and 10 assists for his first postseason double-double. The Belgian guard also added four rebounds and three steals while shooting 10-for-17 from the floor and 2-for-4 from deep without committing a turnover. Mitchell has now scored at least 14 points in six consecutive playoff games.
The Thunder once again overwhelmed Los Angeles with depth and efficiency. Seven Oklahoma City players scored in double figures, including Chet Holmgren ’s 18 points and nine rebounds. Cason Wallace scored 13 points and hit three first-quarter three-pointers to stabilize the offense early. Isaiah Hartenstein also reached double figures while helping the Thunder control the interior.
The game changed after halftime. The Lakers carried a 59-57 lead into the break behind 16 first-half points from Rui Hachimura , but Oklahoma City opened the third quarter with a 21-6 run and outscored Los Angeles 33-20 in the period. The Thunder finished the second half with a 74-49 advantage.
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Oklahoma City shot 56.4% from the field, connected on 44.7% of its three-point attempts and committed only nine turnovers. The Thunder also controlled the paint, outscoring the Lakers 54-32 inside.
Los Angeles, still without Luka Doncic because of a hamstring injury, received 21 points from Rui Hachimura, 19 points from LeBron James and 17 from Austin Reaves . However, James and Reaves combined to shoot just 12-for-32 from the field as Los Angeles fell to 0-7 against Oklahoma City this season.
The winner of the No. 1 Thunder and No. 4 Lakers will advance to face either the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs or the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals.
The series stays in Los Angeles for Game 4 on Monday, where Oklahoma City will try to complete a road sweep.
Related: Here’s how badly Thunder cooked Austin Reaves in Game 3
Related: The mind-blowing stat that says it all about Thunder’s dominance over Lakers
