JJ Redick did not dress up the Los Angeles Lakers’ latest playoff failure. After a 131-108 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 on Saturday, he said the teams had played three straight one-sided games and that the Lakers had been “kicked our ass three straight games.”
The defeat left the Lakers trailing 3-0 in the series and in a hole that has only deepened by the game. Oklahoma City has outscored Los Angeles by a combined 54 points, and the Lakers have now lost three consecutive playoff games by 15 points or more for the first time in franchise history. They led 59-57 at halftime, then were outscored by 25 points after the break.
Redick said the Lakers had tried to change the look of the game without changing the result. “We tried different lineups, different coverages. Still lost those minutes again. We’ve got to be better,” he said. He also made clear the series is not being waved off, adding that Los Angeles would try to win on Monday, extend the series and take it back to OKC.
The numbers told the same story. LeBron James went 7-for-19 from the field, Austin Reaves finished 5-for-13 and Ajay Mitchell scored 24 points for the Thunder. The defending champions, now 7-0 this postseason, kept control almost everywhere the Lakers needed it most. The game turned in the third quarter, when Oklahoma City buried Los Angeles under a 30-plus-point period and made the margin feel larger than the final score.
James pointed to that stretch without hesitation. “The third quarter. We’ll start with that,” the 41-year-old said, adding that the Lakers did not have the energy or effort and that the Thunder “put a 30-plus-point quarter on us and kind of took care of the game right there, honestly.” He also said Los Angeles did not knock down shots and did not get stops.
The context around the loss is harsh. The Lakers were playing without star guard Luka Dončić and do not have the depth or talent Oklahoma City can roll through. That has left Redick trying combinations that have not held up and a team now staring at a series the Thunder control completely. The Lakers said they would keep fighting for Monday, but they need a clean response, not another explanation.
