Mitchell, Gilgeous-Alexander Shine as OKC Thunder Complete Sweep of Lakers

Ajay Mitchell and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander combine for 63 points as the OKC Thunder sweep the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round.

May 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) moves the ball against Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) during the first half in game four of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 115-110 Monday night at Crypto.com Arena. The Thunder sweep once again, improving their record to 8-0 and punching their ticket into the Western Conference Finals for the second consecutive season.

OKC's star backcourt in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell combined for 63 points in the win. Gilgeous-Alexander had his best game of the series, scoring 35 points and assisting on eight made shots on 50% shooting; Mitchell added a playoff career-high 28 points.

Chet Holmgren's dunk with 32.8 seconds left gave OKC a lead it would never look back from in the clutch.

Here are three takeaways from the thrilling Game 4 victory.

May 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) controls the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) during the first half in game four of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

1. Rumbling Off Turnovers

The Thunder dominated the Lakers in the points off turnovers category this series. The trend remained the same in the close-out game.

OKC forced 19 Los Angeles turnovers and scored 22 points off of them in the win. This was critical in the Thunder staying in a Lakers-controlled third quarter, racking off 10 points off five turnovers in the period, starting it with a run that involved three fastbreak layups following steals.

The Thunder's defense lives off forcing turnovers, filled with wings and guards who know how to get into the lanes and cause commotion. This constant pressure is why Oklahoma City is still unbeaten through the first two rounds.

May 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) is defended by Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) as he drives to the basket during game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

2. Masterful Mitchell

Once again, the Thunder's second-year star was phenomenal under the spotlight. Mitchell scored 28 points on 12-of-19 shooting.

The Belgian guard added three rebounds, four assists and four steals to his box score, completing a high-leverage, three-level scoring performance. Mitchell continued his breakout season with his fourth 20-point game in five.

Mitchell hit the final two free throws to seal a clutch time win for the Thunder.

He was excellent on and off the ball, continuing to bring OKC the spark it needs with Jalen Williams sidelined. Any time Gilgeous-Alexander received a double team, Mitchell responded with timely buckets and ball handling.

May 11, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) controls the ball against Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart (36) during the first half in game four of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

3. Valuable High-leverage Playoff Action

In a series and playoffs of double-digit wins, a clutch-time game to close out the series is perfect for the Thunder before their Western Conference Finals matchup. The Lakers gave the defending champions every last bit of their energy, but it was not enough.

Gilgeous-Alexander consistently made the right play throughout the fourth quarter, playing off his costars in Mitchell and Holmgren. Holmgren's lead-taking dunk in the game's final minute turned out to be the series clincher.

The MVP favorite scored nine of his series-high 35 points in the fourth quarter, sealing the game with free throws in the final moments. Mitchell scored 10 in the final period, continuing his postseason of incredible play. Holmgren scored half of his point total, eight of 16, in the fourth quarter.

The Thunder's key players stood to the task in the clutch minutes, setting them up to continue success in the next round.