Oklahoma City Thunder beat Los Angeles Lakers 108-90 at home on Tuesday, May 5 in a low-scoring game: just 198 combined points between the two teams.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Thunder had the better start, winning the first 31-26 to lead by 5 after one. The Thunder kept the pressure on with a 30-27 second quarter, carrying a 8-point lead into halftime.
The Thunder won the third 23-19 to create some separation, taking a 12-point lead into the fourth. The Thunder took the fourth 24-18; the Thunder finished the job for a 108-90 regulation win.
What decided it
The Thunder got more from their shots, finishing at 57.1% effective field-goal shooting compared with 47.1% for the Lakers. The Thunder took better care of the ball, turning it over on 14.7% of possessions compared with 17.8% for the Lakers. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
At roughly 96 possessions per team, the Thunder produced 113.1 points per 100 possessions to 94.2 for the Lakers.
The Thunder's reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 34-18.
Who made the difference
Chet Holmgren was the game's biggest individual force for OKC: 24 pts, 12 reb, 1 ast, 3 blk on 9-17 shooting. His Game Score of 24.3 led everyone. His team was +10 with him on the floor.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 27 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast on 12-17 shooting, good for a 23.9 Game Score.
Chet Holmgren (24 pts, 12 reb, 1 ast) and Deandre Ayton (10 pts, 12 reb, 2 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Thunder about a 77% chance.
Across the last 7 meetings in our records, Oklahoma City Thunder lead 6-1.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.