Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walked into Crypto.com Arena and sent the Lakers packing. The All-NBA guard poured in 35 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder finished off a four-game sweep with a 115-110 win on Monday night. Chet Holmgren’s two-handed dunk with 32.8 seconds left served as the dagger, and reserve guard Ajay Mitchell erupted for 28 in a career night to help push OKC into the Western Conference finals.
The victory sends the defending champions back to the conference finals, where they will sit and watch the San Antonio-Minnesota series decide their next opponent. Oklahoma City wrapped the matchup 4-0 and moved to 8-0 in these playoffs, as noted by the AP. Game video and the full box score for the clincher are posted on NBA.com.
A tense finish in L.A.
For a sweep, this one felt anything but easy. The fourth quarter turned into a nerve-wracking back-and-forth, with the Lakers refusing to fold in front of a home crowd desperate for signs of life.
Rui Hachimura and Marcus Smart traded late buckets, and the Lakers had their moment when Austin Reaves rose for a potential tying three with eight seconds to go. He missed, and that was the break Oklahoma City needed. Holmgren muscled through traffic for a two-handed slam, Gilgeous-Alexander calmly buried the free throws that followed, and the Thunder finally slammed the door on Los Angeles. That closing sequence was detailed by The Oklahoman, which noted how tight the game felt compared with the lopsided series result.
Standouts: Shai and Mitchell
Gilgeous-Alexander was every bit the franchise star, going 11-for-22 from the field and handing out eight assists while dictating the pace. Mitchell, coming off the bench, gave the Lakers defense a whole new problem with 28 points on efficient shooting that turned a supposed role player into a second primary scorer for the night. Holmgren added 16 points and eight rebounds to steady the middle.
Broader coverage of the Game 4 win and the sweep ran at Yahoo Sports.
What’s next for OKC
Now comes the good part for Oklahoma City: rest. With the sweep wrapped, the Thunder get a few days off before opening the Western Conference finals against the winner of Spurs versus Timberwolves.
Coach Mark Daigneault’s growing playoff résumé and sparkling winning percentage have turned into recurring talking points during this title defense, according to The Oklahoman. As the stakes climb, the Thunder are expected to lean on their depth, defense, and the simple luxury of having the best player on the floor most nights.
Questions for LeBron and the Lakers
On the other side, the questions just got louder. LeBron James finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds, but his latest playoff exit only amplifies the offseason guessing game about what comes next.
Speculation that James could test free agency or even weigh retirement has been closely tracked by Newsweek. For the Lakers as a franchise, the more immediate task is figuring out how to rebuild around an aging superstar and a supporting cast that looked too thin when it mattered.
Hoodline was on this story early in the series, when the Thunder ran the Lakers out of Paycom to grab a 2-0 lead. We will keep tracking Oklahoma City as the title defense moves into the conference finals. The sweep leaves the Lakers staring at some uncomfortable decisions and gives Thunder fans even more reason to believe this group is built to repeat.
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