The Oklahoma City Thunder are no longer just beating the Lakers. They are dismantling them possession by possession.
Behind a breakout performance from Ajay Mitchell and another ruthless second-half surge, the defending NBA champions rolled past Los Angeles 131-108 in Game 3 on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
The series has followed the same script three straight games. The Lakers compete for stretches, survive early runs, and stay close into the third quarter before Oklahoma City overwhelms them with pace, spacing and defensive pressure.
Game 3 turned for good in the third quarter, when the Thunder outscored Los Angeles 33-20 and created separation with wave after wave of efficient offense. Oklahoma City shot 56% from the field, hit 17 threes and finished with 30 assists while committing only nine turnovers.
Mitchell delivered the best playoff game of his career with 24 points and 10 assists. The second-year guard controlled tempo all night and repeatedly punished the Lakers when they shifted extra attention toward Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 23 points and nine assists despite another aggressive defensive game plan built around limiting his touches. The MVP still found ways to control the game late, and Oklahoma City improved to 7-0 in the postseason.
That undefeated run includes seven victories over the Lakers this season overall. The Thunder have now beaten Los Angeles by a combined 59 points in the series.
Chet Holmgren added 18 points and nine rebounds, while Oklahoma City continued winning the interior battle even without Jalen Williams, who missed his fifth straight game with a strained hamstring.
The Lakers briefly led at halftime behind Rui Hachimura, who scored 21 points and knocked down five 3-pointers. But Los Angeles could not sustain its offense once Oklahoma City tightened defensively after the break.
LeBron James finished with 19 points, eight assists and six rebounds, while Austin Reaves added 17 points and nine assists. The backcourt struggled badly with efficiency, however, as James and Reaves combined to shoot 12-for-32 from the field.
Luke Kennard provided a spark off the bench with 18 points on 4-for-6 shooting from deep, but the Lakers never found consistent stops. Oklahoma City scored at all three levels and repeatedly attacked mismatches before the defense could get organized.
The absence of Luka Doncic continues to hang over the series. The NBA scoring champion missed his 14th consecutive game after straining his hamstring on April 2 in Oklahoma City, and the Lakers still appear far from getting him back.
The bigger concern for Los Angeles is what happens next. No NBA team has ever recovered from a 3-0 deficit in a playoff series, and the Thunder have looked increasingly comfortable as the matchup progresses.
Game 4 is Monday night in Los Angeles, where the Lakers will try to avoid being swept by the league’s most complete team.
