May 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) and center Chet Holmgren (7) fight for a rebound with Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) during the first quarter of game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Ajay Mitchell erupted for 18 of his 24 points after halftime, and the Oklahoma City Thunder overwhelmed the Los Angeles Lakers in the final two quarters, rolling to a decisive 131-108 victory in Game 3 of their Western Conference second-round series Saturday night.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander contributed 23 points and nine assists as the defending champions seized a 3-0 series lead and extended their postseason winning streak to 7-0. Chet Holmgren posted 18 points and nine rebounds, Cason Wallace added 16 points off the bench, and Mitchell also dished out 10 assists.
The Thunder entered halftime down by two points but dominated the second half, outscoring Los Angeles 74-49.
Rui Hachimura sank five 3-pointers and led the Lakers with 21 points. LeBron James chipped in 19 points, eight assists, and six rebounds. Luke Kennard scored 18 off the bench, and Austin Reaves added 17 points and nine assists for Los Angeles.
Oklahoma City can complete the sweep in Monday’s game in Los Angeles. No NBA team has ever overcome a 3-0 playoff deficit.
The Lakers again missed scoring champion Luka Doncic, while the Thunder were without second-best player Jalen Williams. Both are sidelined with hamstring injuries.
The Thunder shot 56.4% from the field, including 17-of-38 from three-point range. Isaiah Hartenstein tallied 12 points and nine rebounds, Isaiah Joe scored 12 on four 3-pointers, and Luguentz Dort added 10 points. Wallace also knocked down four triples for Oklahoma City.
The Lakers made 46.9% of their attempts and were 14-of-30 from beyond the arc. Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton each scored 10 points for Los Angeles, which committed 17 turnovers leading to 30 Oklahoma City points.
The score was tied at 63 early in the third quarter when Hartenstein and Holmgren threw down consecutive dunks to ignite a 15-2 run. Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren capped the burst with baskets, and Oklahoma City ripped off 11 straight points to take a 78-65 lead with 5:37 left in the quarter.
The Lakers answered with seven straight points—six from Smart—to cut the deficit to 84-79 with one minute remaining in the period. But Joe drilled two 3-pointers in the final 45.2 seconds, sending the Thunder into the fourth quarter with a 90-79 advantage.
The margin stayed at 11 before Mitchell scored nine points during a 14-7 run that pushed Oklahoma City’s lead to 112-94 with 6:12 left. Alex Caruso finished that surge with a thunderous dunk.
Wallace drained a 3-pointer to make it 120-97 with 4:01 remaining, and the Thunder led by as many as 27 while completing a brutal second-half beatdown.
Hachimura went 4-for-4 from three-point range in a 16-point first half that helped the Lakers take a 59-57 lead at the break. Gilgeous-Alexander had 14 in the half despite shooting 4-of-14.
