The Lakers couldn't take care of the ball.
All of the momentum that the Los Angeles Lakers had been built over their latest hot streak of games came to a grinding halt on Thursday after they suffered a devastating 139-96 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a game that just kept going from bad to worse.
Playing against the Thunder, who have easily been the most dominant team in the NBA this season as they look to repeat as NBA champions, is never going to be easy. But, the Lakers made things even harder on themselves with scrambled, ineffective defense and poor control of the ball that led to the Thunder to take even more advantages than usual.
The Lakers' sloppiness showed up in a big way in the final box score. Los Angeles committed 18 turnovers, eight of which came in the first quarter, giving the Thunder easy chances to put up shots and surge ahead before the Lakers had any chance to react.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) drives to the basket as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) defends during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Alonzo Adams-Imagn ImagesRedick Points to Turnovers
"We frankly had unforced turnovers. They [Thunder] had a lot more shots on goal to start the game," Redick said to the media. "We settled in offensively in the second quarter, but just could never realy get it going defensively for us... The turnovers, obviously they killed us."
The Thunder took a whopping 102 shots in the game and landed 54% of them to accomplish the blowout box score, while the Lakers attempted just 79 shots and landed them at a less efficient rate.
Physicality has been the Thunder's brand this season and that physicality completely overwhelmed the Lakers' defense, leaving Los Angeles lost and desperately searching for a way back into the game that never came.
Losing Doncic
To make matters worse, Luka Doncic suffered a lower leg injury that forced him to leave the game in apparent pain. Redick couldn't provide many updates on Doncic's status after the game, but did say that Doncic would undergo an MRI to reveal the extent of the injury that could put his MVP-level season at risk.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) hops to the side of the court during a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. Alonzo Adams-Imagn ImagesThe energy surrounding the Lakers looked different during their recent surge. There was more joy on the court and the team was clicking together more than ever before, but games like Thursday's are brutal reminders that the Lakers still have a long way to go before they can confidently compete with other top NBA teams.
Defense has long been pointed to as an issue for the Lakers this season, and in no game was that more clear than in their loss to the Thunder.