Thunder Defense Dominates, Easily Defeats Lakers 108-90 in Western Conference Semifinals Opener
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 108-90 in the first game of the NBA Western Conference Semifinals, taking a 1-0 lead. The Thunder's strong defense limited the Lakers' scoring, contributing to their victory.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 6, 2026 at 13:41
- 🔍 Collected: May 6, 2026 at 14:01 (20 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 6, 2026 at 14:14 (12 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Los Angeles, Central News Agency, May 6, comprehensive foreign report) The NBA Oklahoma City Thunder today defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, led by LeBron James, 108-90, taking a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference Semifinals series.
According to AFP, the defending champions Thunder showed a balanced performance in offense and defense, successfully winning against the shorthanded Lakers. Although the Lakers started strong, they trailed from the second quarter until the end of the game.
Chet Holmgren contributed 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell each added 18 points.
NBA's reigning MVP, Gilgeous-Alexander, said after the game, "We were a little rusty, a little disjointed on offense, but we stuck with it," and praised the Thunder's defense for holding the Lakers to their lowest playoff score since 2021.
Speaking about the Thunder's defense, he said, "We just want to make them uncomfortable, that's it. Whatever they're good at, we try to limit them."
The Thunder swept the Lakers 4-0 in the regular season, with an average winning margin of 29.3 points per game.
LeBron James, now 41, still led the Lakers to an upset 4-2 elimination of the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. In this game, he scored a team-high 27 points but was unable to turn the tide.
Rui Hachimura contributed 18 points for the Lakers, Marcus Smart had 12 points, and Deandre Ayton had 10 points. (Compiled by: Hsu Rui-cheng) 1150506
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(Los Angeles, Central News Agency, May 6, comprehensive foreign report) The NBA Oklahoma City Thunder today defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, led by LeBron James, 108-90, taking a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference Semifinals series.
According to AFP, the defending champions Thunder showed a balanced performance in offense and defense, successfully winning against the shorthanded Lakers. Although the Lakers started strong, they trailed from the second quarter until the end of the game.
Chet Holmgren contributed 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell each added 18 points.
NBA's reigning MVP, Gilgeous-Alexander, said after the game, "We were a little rusty, a little disjointed on offense, but we stuck with it," and praised the Thunder's defense for holding the Lakers to their lowest playoff score since 2021.
Speaking about the Thunder's defense, he said, "We just want to make them uncomfortable, that's it. Whatever they're good at, we try to limit them."
The Thunder swept the Lakers 4-0 in the regular season, with an average winning margin of 29.3 points per game.
LeBron James, now 41, still led the Lakers to an upset 4-2 elimination of the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. In this game, he scored a team-high 27 points but was unable to turn the tide.
Rui Hachimura contributed 18 points for the Lakers, Marcus Smart had 12 points, and Deandre Ayton had 10 points. (Compiled by: Hsu Rui-cheng) 1150506
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship of yours is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to grasp the latest news instantly.
The text, images, and audio-visual content of this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted or utilized without authorization.