The Los Angeles Lakers endured a night to forget at Paycom Center, suffering a 121–92 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. After the defeat, Luka Dončić didn’t mince words, taking full responsibility for his poor performance and the team’s sluggish showing.
“Probably one of the worst this season,” Dončić admitted during his postgame presser. “Wallace did a great job on me. They’re champions for a reason. They showed that today.”
Los Angeles briefly held a 4–0 lead to open the game, but the momentum disappeared quickly. Oklahoma City heated up from the field and surged ahead 30–18 by the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was even more punishing, with the Lakers trailing 70–38 at halftime as the Thunder dominated every aspect of play.
Dončić closed the night with 19 points on 7-of-20 shooting, including just 1-of-7 from deep. He added seven rebounds and seven assists but also had four turnovers. Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves each contributed 13 points, but the Lakers’ defense had no answer for Oklahoma City’s balanced attack.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 30 points on 10-of-18 shooting. Ajay Mitchell followed with 14, and Isaiah Joe sparked the bench unit with an impressive 21.
From the opening minutes, it was clear the Lakers couldn’t keep up, and Dončić made sure to direct the blame toward himself.
“I think we need to be more ready. It started with me,” he said.
Dončić also looked ahead to the team’s next matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans, stressing that Los Angeles must bring more physicality and energy from the tip-off. Falling behind early, he warned, puts the team in holes too deep to escape.
The Lakers continue their five-game road trip Friday in New Orleans before closing it out Saturday against the Milwaukee Bucks.
