Thunder too much for Lakers to handle in dominant Game 1 win

[p]A balanced offensive performance and steely defensive display from the reigning NBA champions was enough to seal victory over the depleted [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-lakers/ngegZ8bg/"]Lakers[/a], who started brightly but trailed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/los-angeles-lakers-ngegZ8bg/oklahoma-city-thunder-0fHFHEWD/?mid=nungPz1N"]for the final three quarters[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/holmgren-chet/WxvJz45d/"]Chet Holmgren[/a] led the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/oklahoma-city-thunder/0fHFHEWD/"]Thunder[/a] with 24 points and 12 rebounds while reigning NBA Most Valuable Player [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gilgeous-alexander-shai/d6TE5wgc/"]Shai Gilgeous-Alexander[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mitchell-ajay/zwwlrGJG/"]Ajay Mitchell[/a] added 18 points apiece.[/p][embed guid="2058c674-a632-4458-b9b0-1d3839d58b72" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2051865661622649274?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"We were a little choppy, a little rusty, but offensively we just stuck with it," [/b]Gilgeous-Alexander said, saluting a Thunder defense that restricted the Lakers to their lowest score in a playoff game since 2021.[/p][p][b]"We just try to make people play outside their comfort zone, as simple as that,"[/b] Gilgeous-Alexander said of the Thunder defense. [b]"Whatever guys like to do, we like to take away from them."[/b][/p][p]The commanding Thunder victory underscored the size of the task facing the fourth-seeded Lakers if they are to defy the odds and upset the champions in the best-of-seven series.[/p][embed guid="d2f357c5-7d55-40f5-8d90-e58d02e1f4d4" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2051857502820556989?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Oklahoma City completed a 4-0 regular-season sweep over the Lakers, winning each game by an average margin of 29.3 points.[/p][p]Tuesday's series-opener at Oklahoma City's Paycom Center echoed the Thunder's regular-season dominance, with the champions pulling away down the stretch to score an emphatic win.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/james-lebron/nuIVxFJk/"]James[/a], who had defied his 41 years to lead the Lakers to a surprise 4-2 upset of the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/houston-rockets/Sr9PQALP/"]Houston Rockets[/a] in the first round, led Los Angeles with 27 points in a losing effort.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hachimura-rui/jDf6HIxm/"]Rui Hachimura[/a] added 18 points, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/smart-marcus/Q1HV4AFU/"]Marcus Smart[/a] bagging 12 and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ayton-deandre/bwx7ZyAr/"]DeAndre Ayton[/a] 10.[/p][p]The Lakers saw Jarred Vanderbilt leave the game after he fully dislocated his right pinky finger while attempting a block. His status for Game 2 is questionable.[/p][embed guid="c4decb87-19f9-4a58-8c1b-7728159f84a9" url="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/2051838969000694169?s=20" social-type="twitter" /]