Oklahoma City Thunder surge past Los Angeles Lakers to take commanding series lead

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gilgeous-alexander-shai/d6TE5wgc/"]Shai Gilgeous-Alexander[/a], the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player and finalist for the award this season, scored 22 points and the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/oklahoma-city-thunder/0fHFHEWD/"]Thunder[/a] capitalised on 21 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/los-angeles-lakers/ngegZ8bg/"]Lakers[/a] turnovers to hand [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/james-lebron/nuIVxFJk/"]LeBron James[/a] a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/basketball/los-angeles-lakers-ngegZ8bg/oklahoma-city-thunder-0fHFHEWD/?mid=INxPJEOp"]defeat in his 300th career playoff game[/a].[/p][p]Eastern Conference top seeds [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/detroit-pistons/UcjMRj6J/"]Detroit[/a] are also up 2-0 after a 107-97 home win over the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cleveland-cavaliers/xGk13Tb6/"]Cleveland Cavaliers[/a].[/p][p]In Oklahoma City, Gilgeous-Alexander was again below his best but he was amply supported.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/holmgren-chet/WxvJz45d/"]Chet Holmgren[/a] scored 22 points and pulled down nine rebounds, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mitchell-ajay/zwwlrGJG/"]Ajay Mitchell[/a] added 20 points and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mccain-jared/0AVdXU8C/"]Jared McCain[/a] delivered 18 points off the bench to help the Thunder withstand a 31-point performance from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/austin-reaves/xlCMu1nk/"]Austin Reaves[/a].[/p][embed guid="4d2ccfa6-f910-43e9-8356-abfc3147879e" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2052615722069623241" social-type="twitter" /][p]James, who became the first player to contest 300 post-season games, scored 23 points and handed out six assists, and the Lakers led by five points early in the third quarter.[/p][p]But with league-leading scorer [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doncic-luka/pQ4ZBK0o/"]Luka Doncic[/a] still sidelined by injury the Lakers couldn't hang on, even with Gilgeous-Alexander on the bench for considerable stretches because of foul trouble.[/p][p]Oklahoma City produced a 22-5 scoring run to seize control and will aim to keep the pressure on when the series shifts to Los Angeles for games three and four on Saturday and Monday.[/p][p]"[b]We've got to be the aggressor[/b]," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "[b]I feel like they were playing with more force, they were attacking harder, making quicker decisions, playing with a better sense of urgency, especially in the first half[/b].[/p][p]"[b]As long as we take care of that we should have our foot in the right direction[/b]."[/p][embed guid="25411b88-fb05-4523-a3fb-019995353c12" url="https://x.com/NBA/status/2052609155358220659" social-type="twitter" /][p]A bruising contest saw both teams irked by the officiating. Gilgeous-Alexander was whistled for a flagrant foul and both he and James were spent sprawling under the basket after a foul by Reaves late in the game.[/p][p]Lakers coach JJ Redick took issue with the officiating, saying the Thunder "have a few guys who commit a foul on every possession".[/p][p]But he added: "We didn't lose because of the refs."[/p]