A Boos choir has come PAYCOM CENTER as Luka Donic emerged from the Lakers bench throughout pre-match shows.
The animosity was palpable, and the 2 events knew precisely why.
Solely 9 months in the past, Donic broke the aspirations of the OKC championship, main the Dallas Mavericks to get rid of Thunder’s qualifying collection within the semi-finals of the Western Convention. Because the Profitable commerce that despatched the Slovenian celebrity of Dallas to Los Angeles in FebruaryHis return to the courtroom within the new sons was required to rekindle the disdain of Thunder’s followers for Dononic.
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“It’s extremely tough to play right here,” mentioned Donic. “It’s extremely tough to win, however wanting on the rating at the moment, it is loopy within the West. It brings my aggressive thoughts out. ”
Sunday introduced a type of set off efficiency already seen for followers of the Paycc Middle.
Donic, on the peak of his nickname “Luka Magic”, made a present in his first match towards the Thunder as a laker. The quintuple All-Star completed with 30 factors, seven rebounds and 6 assists, Lead Los Angeles to a dominant victory 126-99.
Previous guard or guard Austin Reaves added 20 factors on 4 on 8 pictures past the arc whereas LeBron James Caught in 19 factors and 7 assists.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Totated a summit of 26 factors and 9 assists for the Thunder.
The Los Angeles goalkeeper Luka Darabia (77) is seeking to go to the third quarter in an NBA match between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder on the Pycom Middle in Oklahoma Metropolis on Sunday, April 6, 2025.
The Lakers drained a summit of twenty-two factors to three factors within the victory whereas equalizing a franchise document. At halftime, the Thunder had already granted 78 points-the most they conceded first half all of the season.
“JJ (Redick) mentioned from the beginning that we needed to be bodily and that we needed to exit on this recreation and be aggressive,” mentioned Dononic. “And that is what we did. We turned fairly effectively and obtained open appears, so the sport was flowing.”
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OKC by means of a collection of its absolutely defensive staff caliber gamers to Donci on Sunday.
Lu sleeps began the sport by defending Doncouic, adopted by Chet Holmgren And Jalen Williams Because the match moved to every display screen and swap. SGA even took its flip by making an attempt to decelerate the brand new Lakers star.
It did not matter. No thunder participant had an answer for the domination of Doncic.
The discharge was a painful reminder of the brand new story enters Dononic and the Thunder after having a mean of 24.5 factors, 10.5 rebounds and eight.7 assists within the semi-finals of the West Convention a 12 months in the past.
“With the addition of Luka and the subtraction of (Anthony Davis), their assault turns into extra perimeter and fewer inside, ”mentioned Gilgeous-Alexander.
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“They obtained what they needed. Defensively, we didn’t do the work from begin to end. ”
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The arrival of Doncic in Los Angeles amplifies one other large menace to the Thunder and the Western Convention already stacked.
Throughout its first six seasons, Donic has shortly solidified as probably the greatest artists in eliminatory collection within the historical past of the NBA. He collected a mean of 30.9 factors, 9.4 rebounds and eight assists in 50 profession playoffs and his factors on common solely drag Michael Jordan.
Because the addition of Doncic, the Lakers have displayed a 16-9 file within the video games he performs. Their offensive notice climbed to 119.0 throughout this part whereas making an attempt 41.5 3 factors for 100 possessions from the celebs break.
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On this interval, the seventh greatest offense of the NBA.
“I feel that our potential to attach this night and transmitted the ball and having the suitable spacing was actually good,” mentioned Redick, the primary -year coach of the Lakers. “The three of those guys we’ve are elite offensive gamers. You’ll be able to attempt your greatest night time at night time to find out the place the weak factors are and the place you’ll be able to create a bonus.”
With the victory, the Lakers (48-30) obtained nearer to securing the third seeded within the West with solely 4 remaining video games. In the meantime, OKC (64-14) has already received the seeded and the benefit of the house at dwelling all through the playoffs of the Western Convention.
The Homestand of two video games towards the is an approximate check for the Thunder and a possible overview of the playoffs. If the 2 groups preserve their positions, a closing match of the Western Convention may very well be on the horizon.
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However for the second, the Thunder focuses on the discount of its losses. This loss solely marks the second time this season, OKC has suffered consecutive defeats, with the primary coming to the Houston Rockets just a few days earlier.
OKC can have one other hit on the Lakers at 7 p.m. Tuesday on the Paycc Middle.
“I simply know the way we’ve to play to be our greatest”, coach Thunder Mark deigneult mentioned. “We weren’t that at the moment. We now have to take this again if we wish to proceed to enhance.”
Jordan Davis Cowl the sports activities of the varsity for Oklahoman. Do you might have a narrative concept for Jordan? It may be reached at [email protected] or on x / twitter at @ jdavis34_. Register The college membership publication To entry extra highschool protection. Help Jordan’s work and that of different Oklahoman journalists by shopping for a Digital subscription at the moment on subscription.oklahoman.com
This text initially appeared on Oklahoman: Okc Thunder once more has no solutions for Luke Doncic, even with the Lakers
