“For the third game in a row, we were right there after two and a half quarters,” JJ Redick said following the Lakers’ Game 3 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder. “We tried different rotations, different defensive schemes. Still, we lost those minutes again. We have to be better.”
LOS ANGELES – JJ Redick is running out of explanations for what he has witnessed in this lopsided Western Conference semifinal series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. One of the few he offered after a 131-108 loss in Game 3 on Saturday underscored the Thunder’s dominance over his team, marking the first time in Lakers history that they have lost three consecutive playoff games by 15 or more points.
“They’ve beaten us badly three straight games,” Redick said. “They’re an incredible basketball team.”
Redick tried to provide some context, but the expression on his face told the story as much as his words. The 41-year-old basketball veteran wore a look of frustration mixed with resignation – the same look veteran guard Luke Kennard had when he spoke at the podium minutes later.
For the third straight game, the Thunder reached a level the Lakers simply could not match. Playing without star guard Luka Dončić, Los Angeles managed to keep pace with the defending champions early, but the gap in talent became evident after they took a 59-57 lead into halftime. The Thunder outscored them by 25 points in the second half. Over the series, Oklahoma City has outscored the Lakers by a combined total of 54 points.
“Third straight game, we were right there after two and a half quarters,” Redick said, noting that he had shared a similar message with the team. “We tried different lineups, different coverages. We still lost those minutes again. We have to be better, but I’m not giving up on this series. We’re going to go try to win on Monday. We’ll try to extend the series and bring it back to OKC.”
Redick can maintain public optimism, but what else can he say? For the third consecutive game, the Lakers were outplayed. In a previous era of his career, LeBron James might have been able to close the talent gap, but at age 41, that’s no longer the case. James shot just 7-for-19 from the field and couldn’t summon the needed energy in the second half. Austin Reaves went 5-for-13 and also failed to stem the tide.
James sees the same problems everyone else does. When asked about the adjustments the Lakers tried and how the Thunder adapted, he pinpointed the difference that surfaced again in the final 24 minutes.
“The third quarter – we’ll start with that,” James said. “We didn’t have the energy or the effort, and they put up a 30-plus-point quarter on us and basically took control of the game right there. We had some good moments in the first half, sharing the ball and hitting shots. But that third quarter, we didn’t hit shots, we didn’t defend – or get stops, I should say. We did defend, but we didn’t get stops, and that let them take over.”
The Thunder, now 7-0 in this postseason, have all the momentum and show no signs of slowing down. Ajay Mitchell scored 24 points, serving as the latest reminder of the depth on the Thunder roster. The Lakers lack that kind of depth and talent. All they have left is pride as they try to avoid a sweep on Monday night.
Redick has tried everything he can to find different answers, but he knows the reality: The Lakers simply can’t compete at this level.
