Chris Mannix: Three Thoughts on Thunder’s Defensive Masterpiece vs. Lakers

Three thoughts on Oklahoma City’s 108–90 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals …

Oklahoma City’s defense dominated

The Thunder offense didn’t exactly misfire. They shot 49% from the floor and 43% from three. They handed out 29 assists and scored 48 points in the paint. Chet Holmgren scored 24 points and Ajay Mitchell chipped in 18. But Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was uncharacteristically sloppy (seven turnovers) and only Jared McCain (12 points) cracked double figures off the bench.

And it didn’t matter. Oklahoma City’s defense was stifling. It held the Lakers to 42% shooting, including 33% from three-point range. It forced 17 turnovers, scoring 20 points off of them. It outscored L.A. 34–15 off the bench. Los Angeles scored 37 points in the second half, connecting on just 38.5% of its attempts over the final two quarters.

“We settled in defensively,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault. “We had some game plan–type breakdowns early. We tightened that up and got a feel for how they were trying to attack us in the second half, which was helpful.”

If Oklahoma City’s defense stays this good, this will be a short series.

The Lakers need more—a lot more—from the backcourt

The numbers were ghastly: Austin Reaves, eight points on 3-of-16 shooting. Marcus Smart, 12 points on 4 of 15. Luke Kennard, seven points on 1 of 4 from the floor. For those counting at home, that’s 27 points on 8 of 35 shooting.

Yikes. Credit the Thunder defense: Oklahoma City is a terror on the perimeter, with Lu Dort, Cason Wallace and Alex Caruso spearheading a menacing wave of defenders. But the Lakers need more. Kennard has had five straight stinkers since powering L.A. to a 2–0 series lead over Houston in the first round. His four shot attempts matched a postseason low. Similarly, Smart had two hot shooting games against the Rockets but has not shot better than 43% from the field since.

Reaves is a bigger problem. He’s shooting 11.7% from three since returning from injury last week. He’s getting shots up (46 attempts in three games) but isn’t making many (14). In Game 1, he struggled against Oklahoma City’s physicality, often settling for tough jump shots, turning the ball over four times. His 18.8 FG% in Game 1 was the lowest by any Laker in a playoff game over the last 35 years.

Said Lakers coach JJ Redick, “He didn’t play well, but he’s gonna bounce back. He’s a great player.”

For the Lakers to have any chance in this series, he has to. Asked where the offensive issues came from in Game 1, LeBron James noted Luka Dončić’s absence. “The guy who averaged [33.5] points a game,” said James. Los Angeles’s front line was pretty good on Tuesday. James scored 27 points on 12-of-17 shooting. Deandre Ayton had a double-double (10 points, 12 rebounds). Rui Hachimura chipped in 18 points. But Dončić isn’t coming back, at least not anytime soon. The backcourt needs to help, beginning with Reaves.

Chet Holmgren was the star of Game 1

Holmgren’s breakout season continued on Tuesday. He was sharp offensively (9 of 17 from the floor, 2 of 2 from three-point range) while collecting a game-high-tying 12 rebounds in a tidy 31 minutes. When the Lakers stuck a big on him, he scored on the perimeter. When they defended him with a guard, he bullied them in the post. The year-to-year development of Holmgren has been noticeable, even to his teammates. Asked to compare Holmgren’s play this season to last, Gilgeous-Alexander said, “Completely different player. He just looks super fresh out there.”

Most notably defensively. Victor Wembanyama may win Defensive Player of the Year well into the next decade. But Holmgren will always be right behind him. Holmgren blocked three shots on Tuesday, contesting many more. When Holmgren was the contesting defender, the Lakers went 1 of 9 from the floor. The confidence is flowing through Holmgren right now—and it’s coming at the right time for Oklahoma City.

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