OKC Thunder Big Men Shine in Dominant Win Over Lakers

The Thunder's dominance against LA had plenty to do with their interior forces.

Apr 2, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) and Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) look up for a rebound during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City made a statement against one of the West’s top teams, and its big men were instrumental in the blowout.

On Thursday night, the Thunder beat the Los Angeles Lakers 139-96 in Paycom Center to move to 61-16 for the season. The win came as no surprise, given the Thunder’s previous success against the Lakers this season, but the 43-point margin was still impressive after Los Angeles’ recent hot streak.

While most of Oklahoma City’s top contributors came from the perimeter, the Thunder’s big men played an underrated role in the dominant victory. Although Lu Dort’s hot start from three and defense on Luka Doncic stole the show early, the Thunder’s double-big lineup had its fingerprints all over the quick start in Oklahoma City.

Isaiah Hartenstein’s screens and rebounding while dominating his matchup with Deandre Ayton gave the Lakers almost no outlet for success. With Hartenstein consistently helping the Thunder pick apart the Lakers’ zone, particularly as a screener, Oklahoma City got just about any look it could have wanted on the perimeter in the opening minutes.

Finishing the night with seven points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks, Hartenstein’s numbers didn’t jump off the page, but his impact was undeniable. Meanwhile, his frontcourt mate, Chet Holmgren, also had an underwhelming box score compared to his impact, finishing with seven points, four rebounds, two steals and a block.

Of course, one of the biggest reasons the two had rather pedestrian counting stats was the fact that neither had to play anything close to big minutes, with Hartenstein logging 20 and Holmgren logging 17. Still, Holmgren’s dominance came in its usual form as a rim protector, turning away Lakers drives in the paint and matching up with LeBron James for much of the night.

Although Holmgren isn’t solely to credit, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer finished with only 13 points on 3-of-7 shooting. Considering James doesn’t have the burst he once had as a driver, Holmgren was able to easily keep up with him on the perimeter and prevent him from being a real threat offensively.

While it remains to be seen if the Thunder will be on track for a second-round matchup with the Lakers, Oklahoma City’s big men have shown their value for the postseason. The double-big lineup can still be a bit clunky at times, but when everything is clicking for the Thunder early, Holmgren and Hartenstein are typically significant factors.