LOS ANGELES – Entering Monday’s contest, it was clear that the Thunder were a better team than the Lakers. Oklahoma City had won every playoff game against LA in blowout fashion and swept the regular-season series 4-0.
The only question left was whether the Lakers would put up a fight in Game 4.
In their most competitive game of the season, the Lakers took the Thunder to the wire in a back-and-forth fourth quarter. In the end, though, the result mirrored the three previous games, but the energy, effort
and execution, particularly in the second half, did not.
“You’ve seen these 3-0 games before,” JJ Redick said postgame. “I thought there were two different times during the game where our team could’ve gave in, could’ve let go of the rope. We didn’t.
“I thought the crowd was awesome tonight. I’ve been part of these on both sides where it’s a 3-0 [series] and you’re playing on the road or you’re playing at home and the crowd can just not be great. The crowd was awesome. Our fans were awesome.”
The Lakers showed rather quickly in the first quarter what type of fight they would have as they played some of their best basketball of the series.
Austin Reaves led the charge, going 3-for-3 from the field, and with the Lakers taking care of the ball, they held a lead after the first quarter for the first time in the series.
The Lakers kept on fighting.
Jaxson Hayes was a wrecking ball in the paint in the second half. He was dunking with authority and being a defensive disruptor. LeBron James and Luke Kennard were hitting shots from beyond the arc and, after a Hayes slam late in the third quarter, the Lakers had their first lead since the start of the second.
As the third quarter buzzer sounded with the Lakers up three, the crowd erupted in approval. Reaves was clapping emphatically and Kennard raised his hands up like he was Rocky Balboa standing at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
But in the end, the result was the same. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made some clutch free throws late and Ajay Mitchell continued to dominate scoring in bunches. The Thunder, for the fourth time in this series and the eighth consecutive time this season, beat the Lakers and eliminated them from the playoffs.
Sometimes, the attempt at greatness is the reward. It’s part of the process and, while only one team wins the championship every year, there are a handful that commit to the process necssary for greatness. The Lakers fit the bill.
“I think one of the biggest wins for us is the multiple times throughout the regular season and the multiple times towards the end of the regular season with the injuries and during the playoffs, where we could have just laid down,” Redick said. “Tonight would have been an easy night for us to lay down.
“And I don’t know, who the F came up with moral victories. I don’t even know what that phrase means. I don’t believe in it. But, I look at all the small wins along the way as part of the journey.”
They were shorthanded the entire postseason and understood the Thunder just had more weapons, but while the results never went their way, their effort was never in question.
Throughout this series, Hachimura was a playoff riser, delivering some incredible performances. Reaves struggled in Game 1 and overcame those challenges to have some really solid games against the Thunder. And Marcus Smart defended SGA as well as anyone has.
The truth is, they just don’t have the roster necessary to combat the depth the Thunder have. OKC is flat-out the better team.
While moral victories are worth as much as monopoly money, there is something to be said about having a never-say-die attitude. It’s why the Lakers have had back-to-back 50-win seasons under Redick.
It’s why the Lakers beat the Rockets without Luka entirely while only having Reaves for two games. And it’s why the futures in Los Angeles, even after a disappointing end to the season, remain bright.
Before the game, Redick quoted Dermot Kennedy’s song “Refuge,” saying, “We can’t know the end until it’s over.”
Well, the time has come to put an end to this chapter of the Lakers’ book. So what better way to do it than with the final lines from Kennedy’s record?
“Darling, I’m shaking tonight. Chasing a dream, but I’m tired. If we never make it, at least we can say we died trying.”
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
