The Los Angeles Lakers have been eliminated from the playoffs. Although LeBron James and his teammates put up a strong fight against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4, they ultimately fell 110–115.
LeBron James recorded a double-double with 24 points (8-for-18 FG) and 12 rebounds, but the Lakers’ leading scorer was Austin Reaves (27, 8 TO). The Lakers also got production from Rui Hachimura (25, 9-for-15 FG) and backup center Jaxson Hayes (18). For OKC, however, guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (35, 11/22 FG, 12/15 FT) and Ajay Mitchell (28) stood out. Isaiah Hartenstein (5, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals) also played a key role in the decisive victory.
As has been the case so often in this series, the Lakers started strong; in Game 4, it was Reaves in particular who got off to a good start. LeBron also had his moments toward the end of the first quarter; among other things, the 41-year-old blocked Hartenstein under the basket and hit a fadeaway jumper that gave the Lakers a 26-21 lead.
However, that would be their last field goal for some time. The Lakers subsequently missed nine shots in a row and compounded this with four turnovers. It took over six minutes before the home team scored again (free throws by James). The Thunder capitalized on this with a 17-0 run. For the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander was now finding his rhythm and had 14 points, but the Lakers slowly clawed their way back. The teams went into the locker rooms with the score 45-49, though James was now limping after accidentally stepping on teammate Jaxson Hayes’ foot during a defensive play.
Lakers keep pace in the third quarter
A critical phase now followed for the Lakers, and turnover problems resurfaced. OKC didn’t pull away completely, though, because James and Hachimura hit their threes. While SGA and Mitchell were nearly unstoppable, the Lakers were able to keep up on the scoring end. L.A. trailed by as many as twelve points at one point, but actually regained the lead, partly because Hartenstein was in foul trouble for OKC. Jaxson Hayes capped off the quarter with a wild putback, and the teams headed into the final quarter tied at 84-80.
Hartenstein quickly picked up another foul, and the visitors were once again visibly lacking that length. So Coach Mark Daigneault took a risk and quickly brought the German back in despite his five fouls. It paid off: Jared McCain tied the game with a three-pointer, and Mitchell followed with an and-1 midway through the quarter. SGA also sank two jumpers in a row, but L.A. countered immediately each time.
Gilgeous-Alexander seals the deal
It was now a shootout; Hachimura cut the lead back to two points with a four-point play 100 seconds before the end (107–109). Finally, a stop was made, and when Marcus Smart finished a drive with a foul to take the lead, the arena erupted. But OKC countered again; Hartenstein found Holmgren under the basket once more. James, however, missed a difficult floater, and SGA extended the lead to three points from the line. Reaves missed the potential three-pointer to tie the game, and Mitchell sealed the deal from the line.
That’s it for the Lakers, while the Thunder are the first champions since the 2018 Warriors to reach the Conference Finals again after winning a championship. Their opponent there is still unknown; the series between the San Antonio Spurs and the Minnesota Timberwolves is currently tied at 2-2.
