Lakers put on a show and continue their dominance against the Thunder
At this stage, the scenarios are all easy to identify. To have the best chance at avoiding a pair of road play-in games, the Lakers need to win. To give themselves some hope of a home play-in game, they need to win. And for the loftiest goal — a spot inside the top of the six spots in the West — the Lakers need to win. A lot. “We understand time is of the essence,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “And we’ve got to get busy in order to do what we’re trying to do.” Monday’s performance at Crypto.com Arena made all paths for the Lakers seem possible. With LeBron James flying around on defense, Austin Reaves impacting the game on both ends, Anthony Davis dominating the basket and D’Angelo Russell making all kinds of different plays, the Lakers looked like a menace. In a 116-104 win against the Thunder, who fell to No. 2 in the Western Conference with the loss, the Lakers were dominant, flustering Oklahoma City for all bit the smallest stretches. James foiled a lob at the rim to Chet Holmgren