Oklahoma City Thunder beat Los Angeles Lakers to take 3-0 playoff lead
The Oklahoma City Thunder moved to the brink of the Western Conference finals with a dominant 131-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.
Ajay Mitchell starred with career playoff highs of 24 points and 10 assists to give the defending champions a commanding 3-0 series lead.
The result means the visitors improve to an unblemished 7-0 record in this year’s postseason.
They are now the sixth defending NBA champions to start the following playoffs with seven consecutive victories.
Mitchell shines as champions pull away
The Lakers fought desperately to keep pace with the title holders during a closely contested first half.
However, the Western Conference leaders demonstrated their merciless efficiency by outscoring their opponents 33-20 in a decisive third quarter.
Chet Holmgren contributed 18 points and nine rebounds as the visiting side comfortably closed out the game down the stretch.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 23 points and nine assists despite facing relentless defensive pressure.
Struggling Lakers face elimination
LeBron James managed 19 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the beleaguered hosts.
Austin Reaves chipped in with 17 points, but both stars struggled with their shooting efficiency throughout the night.
Rui Hachimura’s 21-point effort and 18 points from Luke Kennard were not enough to prevent a fifth defeat in six games for the Los Angeles franchise.
The home team continue to sorely miss NBA scoring champion Luka Doncic, who sat out his 14th consecutive game with a hamstring strain.
Jalen Williams was also absent for the victorious visitors, missing his fifth straight match with a similar hamstring issue.
The series remains in California for Game 4 on Monday night.