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A chorus of boos rang through Paycom Center as Luka Doncic emerged from the Lakers bench during pregame introductions.
The animosity was palpable, and both parties knew exactly why.
Just nine months ago, Doncic shattered OKC’s championship aspirations, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a playoff elimination of the Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals. Since the blockbuster trade that sent the Slovenian superstar from Dallas to Los Angeles in February, his return to the court in new threads was bound to reignite Thunder fans’ disdain for Doncic.
“It’s very tough to play here,” Doncic said. “It’s very tough to win, but looking at the standings today, it's crazy in the West. It brings the competitive spirit out of me.”
Sunday featured a deja vu triggering performance of sorts for fans in Paycom Center.
Doncic, living up to his ‘Luka Magic’ moniker, put on a show in his first game against the Thunder as a Laker. The five-time All-Star finished with 30 points, seven rebounds and six assists, leading Los Angeles to a dominant 126-99 victory.
Former OU guard Austin Reaves added 20 points on 4-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc while LeBron James chipped in 19 points and seven assists.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander totaled a team-high 26 points and nine assists for the Thunder.
More: Former OKC Thunder coach Billy Donovan 'earned' Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame honor
The Lakers drained a season-high 22 3-pointers in the win while tying a franchise record. By halftime, the Thunder had already allowed 78 points — the most they’ve conceded in a first half all season.
“JJ (Redick) said from the start that we needed to be physical and we needed to go out in this game and be aggressive,” Doncic said. “And that’s what we did. We shot pretty good and got some open looks, so the game was flowing.”
OKC through a slew of its All-Defensive team caliber players at Doncic on Sunday.
Lu Dort started the game defending Doncic, followed by Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams as the matchup shifted with every screen and switch. SGA even took a turn attempting to slow down the Lakers' new star.
It didn’t matter. Not a single Thunder player had a solution for Doncic's dominance.
The outing was a painful reminder of the fresh history between Doncic and the Thunder after he averaged 24.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 8.7 assists in the Western Conference semifinals a year ago.
“With the adding of Luka and the subtract of (Anthony Davis), their attack becomes more perimeter and less interior,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
“They got whatever they wanted. Defensively we did not get the job done from start to finish.”
Vote: Which potential OKC Thunder opponent is biggest threat out West in NBA Playoffs?
The arrival of Doncic in LA amplifies another massive threat to the Thunder an already stacked Western Conference.
In just his first six seasons, Doncic has quickly solidified himself as one of the best postseason performers in NBA history. He's averaged 30.9 points, 9.4 rebounds and eight assists in 50 career playoff games and his points average trails only Michael Jordan.
Since adding Doncic, the Lakers have posted a 16-9 record in games he plays. Their offensive rating has climbed to 119.0 during that stretch while attempting 41.5 3-pointers per 100 possessions since the All-Star break.
In that span, LA has the seventh-best offense in the NBA.
“I think our ability to connect tonight and pass the ball to each other and have the proper spacing was really good,” Redick, the Lakers' first-year coach, said. “All three of those guys that we have are elite offensive players. You can try your best night to night to figure out where the weak points are and where you can create an advantage.”
With the victory, the Lakers (48-30) inched closer to securing the third seed in the West with just four remaining games. Meanwhile, OKC (64-14) has already clinched the top seed and home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs.
The two-game homestand versus LA is a rough test for the Thunder and a potential postseason preview. If both teams maintain their positions, a Western Conference finals matchup could be on the horizon.
But for now, the Thunder is focused on cutting its losses. This loss marks only the second time this season OKC has suffered back-to-back defeats, with the first coming at the hands of the Houston Rockets just days earlier.
OKC will have yet another shot at the Lakers at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Paycom Center.
“I just know how we need to play to be at our best,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneult said. “We weren’t that today. We’ve got to tap back into that if we want to continue to improve.”
Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @jdavis34_. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder again has no answers for Luke Doncic, even with Lakers
Continue reading...
The animosity was palpable, and both parties knew exactly why.
Just nine months ago, Doncic shattered OKC’s championship aspirations, leading the Dallas Mavericks to a playoff elimination of the Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals. Since the blockbuster trade that sent the Slovenian superstar from Dallas to Los Angeles in February, his return to the court in new threads was bound to reignite Thunder fans’ disdain for Doncic.
“It’s very tough to play here,” Doncic said. “It’s very tough to win, but looking at the standings today, it's crazy in the West. It brings the competitive spirit out of me.”
Sunday featured a deja vu triggering performance of sorts for fans in Paycom Center.
Doncic, living up to his ‘Luka Magic’ moniker, put on a show in his first game against the Thunder as a Laker. The five-time All-Star finished with 30 points, seven rebounds and six assists, leading Los Angeles to a dominant 126-99 victory.
Former OU guard Austin Reaves added 20 points on 4-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc while LeBron James chipped in 19 points and seven assists.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander totaled a team-high 26 points and nine assists for the Thunder.
More: Former OKC Thunder coach Billy Donovan 'earned' Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame honor
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The Lakers drained a season-high 22 3-pointers in the win while tying a franchise record. By halftime, the Thunder had already allowed 78 points — the most they’ve conceded in a first half all season.
“JJ (Redick) said from the start that we needed to be physical and we needed to go out in this game and be aggressive,” Doncic said. “And that’s what we did. We shot pretty good and got some open looks, so the game was flowing.”
OKC through a slew of its All-Defensive team caliber players at Doncic on Sunday.
Lu Dort started the game defending Doncic, followed by Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams as the matchup shifted with every screen and switch. SGA even took a turn attempting to slow down the Lakers' new star.
It didn’t matter. Not a single Thunder player had a solution for Doncic's dominance.
The outing was a painful reminder of the fresh history between Doncic and the Thunder after he averaged 24.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 8.7 assists in the Western Conference semifinals a year ago.
“With the adding of Luka and the subtract of (Anthony Davis), their attack becomes more perimeter and less interior,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
“They got whatever they wanted. Defensively we did not get the job done from start to finish.”
Vote: Which potential OKC Thunder opponent is biggest threat out West in NBA Playoffs?
The arrival of Doncic in LA amplifies another massive threat to the Thunder an already stacked Western Conference.
In just his first six seasons, Doncic has quickly solidified himself as one of the best postseason performers in NBA history. He's averaged 30.9 points, 9.4 rebounds and eight assists in 50 career playoff games and his points average trails only Michael Jordan.
Since adding Doncic, the Lakers have posted a 16-9 record in games he plays. Their offensive rating has climbed to 119.0 during that stretch while attempting 41.5 3-pointers per 100 possessions since the All-Star break.
In that span, LA has the seventh-best offense in the NBA.
“I think our ability to connect tonight and pass the ball to each other and have the proper spacing was really good,” Redick, the Lakers' first-year coach, said. “All three of those guys that we have are elite offensive players. You can try your best night to night to figure out where the weak points are and where you can create an advantage.”
With the victory, the Lakers (48-30) inched closer to securing the third seed in the West with just four remaining games. Meanwhile, OKC (64-14) has already clinched the top seed and home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs.
The two-game homestand versus LA is a rough test for the Thunder and a potential postseason preview. If both teams maintain their positions, a Western Conference finals matchup could be on the horizon.
But for now, the Thunder is focused on cutting its losses. This loss marks only the second time this season OKC has suffered back-to-back defeats, with the first coming at the hands of the Houston Rockets just days earlier.
OKC will have yet another shot at the Lakers at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Paycom Center.
“I just know how we need to play to be at our best,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneult said. “We weren’t that today. We’ve got to tap back into that if we want to continue to improve.”
Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @jdavis34_. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Thunder again has no answers for Luke Doncic, even with Lakers
Continue reading...
