RECAP (Playoffs – Rd 2, Gm 2): Lakers Go Down 0-2 to OKC Amid Questionable Officiating, 125-107
The Oklahoma City Thunder have taken a 2-0 lead over the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals, with last night’s game sparking debate among fans, players, coaches, and media over some questionable calls.
The Thunder are the best team in the NBA. This was always going to be a difficult series for the Lakers to overcome. But JJ Redick and the Lakers have shown fight and resilience this series, despite missing Luka Doncic.
The Lakers led at halftime in Game 2 and extended their lead to 5 early in the 3rd quarter after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander committed his 4th foul, which was later upgraded to a flagrant 1. Though that is where the Thunder bench went on their huge run and effectively shut the Lakers out. L.A. cut it to within 5 in the fourth but still lost by 18.
Two major areas of concern have been detrimental to the Lakers this series: turnovers and bench scoring. LAL continues to struggle with turning the ball over, committing 21 of them in last night’s contest. That is almost always a recipe for defeat against a team like OKC.
OKC’s bench outscored the Lakers 48-20. Meanwhile, the Lakers starters actually outscored the Thunder starters 87 to 77, a feat that’s happened in both games so far.
Lakers Players and Coaches Question Officials
After Game 2 ended, a handful of Lakers players, including LeBron James, Jaxson Hayes, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia, Adou Thiero, Dalton Knecht, and Nick Smith Jr., were huddled around the officials on the court as Austin Reaves was having words with the referee crew.
This confrontation may have been a follow-up to an earlier incident in the game, when Reaves was seen in a heated exchange with an official.
During which he said:
“That’s some bulls-t for you to talk to me like that.”
Reaves provided some insight into the incident during his postgame interview:
“At the end of the day, we’re grown men, and I just didn’t feel like he needed to yell at my face like that. I told him that. I wasn’t disrespectful. I told him if I did that to him first, I would’ve gotten a tech. I felt like the only reason I didn’t get a tech was because he knew he was in the wrong. I felt disrespected.”
JJ Redick also made his comments on the officiating during his postgame presser:
“LeBron has the worst whistle of any star player I’ve ever seen. He got clobbered again tonight, a bunch. Guy gets hit on the head more than any player I’ve seen on drives, and it rarely gets called”.
The Lakers head into Saturday’s Game 3 matchup facing the possibility of going down 0-3, making it a must-win for the ball club.
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