Thunder Rout Lakers 121-92 Without LeBron James/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points with nine assists to power the Oklahoma City Thunder to a dominant 121-92 win over the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers. The Thunder improved to 12-1, the NBA’s best record, with back-to-back blowouts over Western contenders. Luka Doncic struggled as Oklahoma City’s defense stifled L.A. early.
Thunder Dominate Lakers in Blowout: Quick Looks
- Gilgeous-Alexander posts 30 points, 9 assists in 3 quarters
- Thunder improve to NBA-best 12-1 record
- Luka Doncic held to 19 points on 7-for-20 shooting
- Lakers miss first 11 shots in second quarter
- LeBron James remains out but returns to practice
- Thunder led by 32 points at halftime, never looked back
- Isaiah Joe adds 21 points off the bench
- Lakers fall short of 100 points for first time this season
- OKC holds L.A. to 40.3% shooting from the field
- Next up: Thunder face Hornets, Lakers visit Pelicans
Thunder Rout Lakers 121-92 Without LeBron James
Deep Look
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder continue to prove they’re a force in the West. With another commanding performance Wednesday night, they crushed the Los Angeles Lakers 121-92 behind a clinical outing from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who dropped 30 points and dished out nine assists in just three quarters.
Isaiah Joe added 21 points as the Thunder improved their record to an NBA-best 12-1. It was the second straight blowout victory for Oklahoma City over a top-tier Western Conference team, following Tuesday’s 126-102 rout of the Golden State Warriors.
This time, the Thunder dismantled a Lakers team that lacked LeBron James and saw Luka Doncic struggle to find rhythm. Doncic, who entered the night averaging 37.1 points per game, was held to just 19 points on 7-of-20 shooting. Defensive specialist Lu Dort, typically tasked with guarding Doncic, sat out with a trapezius strain, yet Oklahoma City’s defensive rotations never skipped a beat.
Austin Reaves, averaging 30.3 points over his last three games, was quiet as well, finishing with just 13 points on 4-for-12 shooting. The Lakers’ offense, which had scored at least 116 points in every game this season, sputtered badly—failing to hit 100 for the first time.
LeBron James’ absence was once again felt. While he rejoined practice earlier in the day with the team’s G League affiliate in California, he has yet to make his regular-season debut. His return would have provided much-needed leadership and offensive firepower to a Lakers squad that looked outmatched from the opening tip.
The Thunder led 30-18 after the first quarter and completely shut down Los Angeles early in the second. The Lakers missed their first 11 shots of the period and went nearly eight minutes without a field goal, allowing Oklahoma City to build a 70-38 halftime lead.
The highlight of the night came at the end of the third quarter when Gilgeous-Alexander drove into the lane and flipped a behind-the-back pass to Joe, who drilled a three-pointer at the buzzer to push the lead to 100-64.
For Oklahoma City, the win showcased not just individual brilliance but team depth and defensive execution. Their league-best start continues to gain attention, and their recent victories over playoff-caliber opponents only strengthen their claim as early-season contenders.
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