3 Takeaways From OKC's Dominant Win Over The Lakers

Oklahoma City completed its dominant back-to-back home series on Wednesday night with a 121-92 blowout of the Lakers. The Lakers were without the one and only LeBron James, but it didn’t seem the king would’ve helped L.A. out too much.

OKC was without Lu Dort and Jalen Williams once again, but as the Thunder proved again, it didn’t really matter to them. The MVP did what he does best as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put up 30 points and nine assists, despite not playing in the fourth quarter.

The Thunder continue their dominance as they are now 12-1 on the season and have once again given the world things to think about and fear.

Here are three takeaways from the Thunder’s win over the Lakers.

SGA Alex Carus — Nov 12, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) celebrate after a basket against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

1. The Thunder have taken care of business on back-to-backs

One would think the Thunder would be a little sluggish going into Wednesday’s game, having played on Tuesday as well. However, this wasn’t the case at all. The Thunder jumped out to a large lead from the get-go as they were up 12 at the end of the first and then 32 points at halftime.

Both the Thunder stars and bench have produced during these back-to-back games, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues on his tear and role players like Alex Caruso and Isaiah Joe have helped lift OKC. Of their three back-to-back series, the Thunder have only lost one game. Plus, the Thunder played that loss without Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort and Jalen Williams and still only lost by two.

Nov 12, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) reaches for a loose ball in front of Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

2. OKC makes you pay when given extra possessions

Oklahoma City is known to be one of the best defensive teams in the league, but they don’t let it be forgotten that they turn those turnovers into points as well. The Lakers found that out fast, as at the end of the first half, the Thunder were winning the turnover battle 11-1. OKC showed L.A. how bad of an idea that was, as the Thunder had 18 points off turnovers in the first half compared to the Lakers' zero.

As Oklahoma City does, they kept the pressure on and forced L.A. to have 20 turnovers in the game and allow 26 points off of them. The Thunder have continued to be one of the best defensive teams in the league, and are hurting opponents with the bonus opportunities.

3. The Thunder have a good problem

With Lu Dort, Jalen Williams and Aaron Wiggins not playing tonight, the Thunder needed players like Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe to step up. They succeeded in this attempt, but they might be succeeding too well.

Throughout the course of the NBA season, it’s rare when your whole team is healthy, but when the Thunder are, there will be a struggle for minutes. Mitchell has been fantastic this year, but he likely won’t see the same amount of minutes when Dort and Williams return for good. The Thunder will never complain, as we’ve seen their deep roster helps in situations where not everyone is available to play. However, when the time comes, the Thunder will have a difficult decision when splitting up minutes.