Thunder one win away from sweeping Lakers after Game 3 blowout

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mitchell-ajay/zwwlrGJG/"]Ajay Mitchell[/a] scored 24 points and handed out 10 assists without a turnover to help the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/oklahoma-city-thunder/0fHFHEWD/"]Thunder[/a] take a 3-0 stranglehold on the best-of-seven Western Conference semi-final series.[/p][p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-lakers/ngegZ8bg/"]Lakers[/a] will host Game 4 on Monday, trying to become the first NBA team to rally from 3-0 down to win a playoff series.[/p][embed guid="012e79f4-18b6-4046-8095-7652cdd1139d" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2053313603634118927?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"I'm not giving up on this series,"[/b] defiant Lakers coach [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/redick-j-j/IkXG2vkB/"]JJ Redick[/a] said. [b]"We're going to try to win on Monday. We're going to try to extend the series and we're going to try to take this thing back to OKC."[/b][/p][p]But the Lakers, still without injured scoring champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doncic-luka/pQ4ZBK0o/"]Luka Doncic[/a], couldn't conjure a crucial win as their series shifted to Los Angeles.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hachimura-rui/jDf6HIxm/"]Rui Hachimura[/a] led the Lakers with 21 points, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/james-lebron/nuIVxFJk/"]James[/a] added 19 points, six rebounds, and eight assists.[/p][p]But the Thunder's depth was just too much for the depleted Lakers.[/p][p][b]"That's the strength of their team," [/b]Redick said.[/p][p]With reigning Most Valuable Player [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gilgeous-alexander-shai/d6TE5wgc/"]Shai Gilgeous-Alexander[/a] connecting on just seven of 20 shots from the floor, second-year guard Mitchell -- starting in place of injured [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/williams-jalen/4G5tbqUi/"]Jalen Williams[/a] - stepped up.[/p][p][b]"He's a gamer,"[/b] said Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 23 points.[b] "It might be a shock to the world, but this is no shock to us."[/b][/p][embed guid="60a42988-42b6-46de-afef-0576b26bf455" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2053322883112272263?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]As in game two, the Lakers took a two-point lead into half-time, this one largely on the strength of 11 first-half three-pointers.[/p][p]But again the Thunder exploded in the third period, opening the second half on a 21-6 scoring run.[/p][p]After that, it was all but over. The Lakers connected on just eight of 22 shots from the field in the third period, including just one from three-point range. Their turnovers began to mount, and the Thunder pushed their lead to as many as 27 in the fourth quarter.[/p][p]Gilgeous-Alexander said the Thunder, who swept the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/phoenix-suns/M1Gy2pra/"]Phoenix Suns[/a] in the first round, will[b] "absolutely" [/b]be aiming to finish off the Lakers on Monday.[/p][p][b]"We would never want to waste an opportunity to win a basketball game,"[/b] he said. [b]"We've got to do the same thing we did in the first three games - be the aggressor, play the right way together."[/b][/p]