Lakers vs. Thunder Final result: NBA Cup dreams come to an end for the Lakers

The Lakers will not play back-to-back in the NBA Cup. In a must-win game against the Thunder to keep their hopes of getting out of the group alive, the Lakers were undone by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and errors down the stretch as they lost 101-93 to OKC.

D’Angelo Russell had one of his best games of the season with 17 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals. Dalton Knecht led the team with 20 points and four assists.

Anthony Davis finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and four blocks. LeBron James scored 12 points with eight rebounds and six assists.

Rui Hachimura contributed eight points and five rebounds. Austin Reaves scored 11 points with five rebounds and three assists.

Thanksgivingitis had the Lakers in its grip, who came out flat and couldn’t defend a red-hot Thunder team. The Lakers trailed by 10, forcing a timeout to regroup. Four straight points from AD and a 3-pointer from Dalton made it a five-point game.

Every single Laker that entered the game in the first quarter scored a goal. OKC withstood LA’s sudden scoring attack and had an eight lead at the end of the first period.

Three different Lakers scored early in the second quarter, making it a one-point game. Los Angeles’ offense was much better. The Thunder began missing their shots in the first period.

OKC started to heat up, going up by four with seven minutes left before halftime. The Thunder began to suffocate the Lakers with their defense, which caused LA problems offensively. The hosts found themselves in a four-minute scoring rout before Austin made a layup to tie the game at two points.

It was a draw after Gabe Vincent canceled out a mid-range shot. Both teams increased their energy and defense. Austin suffered a bad fall when he was fouled and ended up going to the locker room two minutes before halftime.

Consecutive layups by LeBron and AD, with AD getting fouled and completing the and-one, put the Lakers ahead by two. LA had a defensive breakdown that led to a three-pointer from Kenrich Williams that brought the Thunder within three points at halftime.

The Thunder opened the second half and extended their lead to nine while the Lakers struggled to defend it. A mid-range shot from Rui and two 3-pointers from D’Lo and Dalton made it a one-point game. A massive block from AD led to a two-handed dunk with authority in transition for Dalton.

AD was then fouled and converted both free throws to put the team ahead by two points. After spending part of the quarter in the locker room, Austin returned to the game.

At halftime the game was tied. The Lakers were on a point drought with the game still tied until Dalton gave the purple and gold the lead with a 3-pointer.

The defense played a big part in making it such a close affair. At the end of the third period, Aaron Wiggins gave OKC a two-point lead.

A three-pointer from D’Lo made it a one-point game early in the final frame. D’Lo then brought the Lakers into the game as he started to heat up. It was a hard-fought battle and the Thunder knocked down two three-pointers, giving them a five-point lead.

With 5:43 left, Max Christie made both free throws and cut the deficit to three. The Thunder continued to increase their lead once LA caught fire. Dalton hit two three-pointers, but it was a five-point game.

Austin was fouled and made two free throws, making it a three-point game. He then scored the point with a free throw. SGA gave the Thunder a four-point lead with a 3-pointer. Max responded with a mid-range shot with 28 seconds left.

Shai converted two free throws to extend the lead to four with 22 seconds left. Turnovers took the Lakers away, led to another two points for the Thunder and secured the win.

Key Takeaways:

Stop turning the ball over!!!

The Lakers have an endless problem forcing 3-point shots. They force them whenever they don’t need them. Find better shots, if you’re not known as a team that shoots from behind the arc, find a better shot. Unless of course you’re Dalton, take these threesomes!

The balanced attack rating was a nice sudden development for this team. This means they are discovering their offensive strengths. If you’re struggling defensively, improving your offense will help counteract that.

While his 3-point shooting has taken a massive dip, Gabe looks more confident when hitting mid-range shots and layups. He might benefit more if he continues to hit those shots to boost his confidence on offense.

The Lakers’ next game is against the Utah Jazz on Sunday at 5:00 p.m. PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.