LeBron James got mad at Rui Hachimura after making a mistake.
The Los Angeles Lakers had a lot to smile about on Sunday, as they blew out the Oklahoma City Thunder 126-99 at Paycom Center. It was a comfortable win over the team with the best record in the NBA, but there was a moment where tempers flared. After LeBron James failed to gather a rather simple rebound in the second quarter, he went off on Rui Hachimura.
Now, it should be pointed out that James' anger at Hachimura wasn't likely about this particular sequence. The Thunder had managed to haul in offensive rebounds on back-to-back possessions, and Hachimura could have been blamed for both. He wasn't doing a great job of boxing out, and it does seem like James was telling him, 'Just box.'
Still, there's no denying that James himself lost concentration there, which led to his failure to secure a rebound. The Thunder took full advantage of that mistake, with Alex Caruso drilling a three-pointer on the next play.
A Chet Holmgren layup followed after that, and the Thunder cut the Lakers' lead to 55-42 with it. It looked like the hosts were about to claw their way back into the game after being down 20, but the visitors responded in some style.
The Lakers would go on an 11-0 run to all but end the game as a contest. They would end up leading by as many as 29 points at one stage and cruised to victory.
Luka Doncic led the way for the Lakers against the Thunder with 30 points (11-20 FG), seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Austin Reaves was their second-leading scorer on the night with 20 points (7-15 FG), two rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block.
James, meanwhile, had a quiet outing by his standards. The 40-year-old put up 19 points (9-16 FG), three rebounds, seven assists, and a steal. As for Hachimura, he recorded 11 points (4-10 FG), seven rebounds, one assist, and one block.
This win was the Lakers' second in a row, and they have improved to 48-30 this season. They are third in the West and are 1.5 games ahead of the 47-32 Denver Nuggets. Barring a dramatic collapse from here on out, the Lakers are almost certainly getting home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
James had stated that the Lakers' mission was to secure a playoff spot and avoid the play-in tournament. That's almost assured now, and this season has gone better than many would have expected.
The Lakers have now surpassed their win tally from 2023-24 (47-35). Their 48 wins are the most the team has recorded in a single season since the 2019-20 campaign, where they went 52-19 and won the title.
The Lakers would be hoping that this season ends just like that one did. They have certainly made a big statement here with this crushing win, and you have to consider them as one of the biggest threats to the Thunder in the playoffs.
We'll see these teams in action again very soon, as the Lakers and Thunder face off at Paycom Center on Tuesday at 8 PM ET. Another win for the Lakers there might well lead to some considering them to be the favorites to make the NBA Finals from the Western Conference.
