Battle of depleted squads! Both Doncic and SGA absent, LeBron scores 22 in vain as Thunder defeat Lakers to end two-game skid

On February 10th, Beijing time, during the NBA regular season, the Lakers faced the Thunder at home. Both teams’ leading stars, Doncic and SGA, were sidelined, and the main players from both sides had poor shooting nights. Nevertheless, the reserves stepped up and produced a thrilling offensive showdown. Caruso and Reeves, both coming off the bench, contributed strong performances. Ultimately, after a hard-fought final quarter, the Thunder defeated the Lakers 119-110 to end their two-game losing streak.

Statistics:

Thunder: Jalen Williams 23 points, Holmgren 13 points and 10 rebounds, Hartenstein 10 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, Wallace 12 points, Joe 19 points, Caruso 17 points, Jerlin Williams 11 points

Lakers: LeBron James 22 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists, Hachimura 12 points, Ayton 6 points, 10 rebounds, LaRavia 14 points, Smart 19 points, Reeves 16 points, 7 assists, Hayes 12 points

Game progress:

At the start of the first quarter, Wallace scored on a layup, immediately answered by LaRavia’s three-pointer. Both teams shot well early on, keeping the score close. The score was tied at 18, 21, and 24 points multiple times. The Thunder pushed hard in the latter part of the quarter, going on a 7-2 run to try to create separation, but Hayes scored on a putback and Reeves nailed a buzzer-beater dunk, allowing the Lakers to close the gap by 4 points. The first quarter ended with the Thunder leading narrowly 31-30.

In the second quarter, the teams started off almost identically to the first quarter. The score tied again at 36 points before the Thunder found their rhythm, unleashing a 16-2 run to build a double-digit lead. Smart finally converted a 2+1 play to stop the bleeding, and the Lakers responded with a 7-2 run to cut the deficit. Although the Thunder made some free throws to halt the Lakers’ momentum, Los Angeles answered with a 9-2 run to reduce the gap to 4 points. Dort hit a three-pointer to give the Thunder some breathing room. Both teams exchanged points afterward, with Jalen Williams hitting a buzzer-beater layup before halftime. The Thunder led 67-58 at the break.

At the beginning of the third quarter, Jalen Williams scored on a layup, extending the Thunder’s lead back to double digits. The Lakers then went on a 7-0 run to quickly narrow the gap. Williams made two free throws to stop the Lakers’ momentum. The Lakers kept pressing, producing another 7-0 run to take the lead. Williams drew a foul and made one of two free throws, leveling the score again. Los Angeles then went on an 8-0 run, but the Thunder answered with an 11-2 surge, leading to another back-and-forth battle. The third quarter ended with the Thunder narrowly ahead 93-91.

In the decisive fourth quarter, both teams traded baskets early, keeping the margin around one point. Shooting was poor for both sides; with 3.5 minutes left, they had combined for only 23 points in the quarter. In the final three minutes, the Thunder surged first, going on an 11-2 run to build an 8-point lead. Hachimura hit a three-pointer to stop the bleeding, and the Lakers responded with a 7-2 run to cut the deficit to 3 points. Holmgren’s putback dunk stopped the Lakers’ momentum. Both teams then scored consecutively. LeBron missed a crucial three-pointer. The Lakers’ fouling strategy failed, and the game ended with the Thunder winning 119-110.

Starting lineups:

Thunder: Jalen Williams, Holmgren, Hartenstein, Dort, Wallace

Lakers: LeBron James, Hachimura, Ayton, LaRavia, Smart