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The LA Lakers downed the OKC Thunder 116-104 at the Crypto.com Arena on Monday night. While the Purple and Gold had 20 turnovers that could have cost them the game, their starters laid the groundwork by destroying the Thunder in the paint.
Barring Rui Hachimura, the rest of the Lakers starters hit double figures. with D'Angelo Russell leading from the front with 26 points. The superstar duo of Anthony Davis (24 points, 12 rebounds and four assists) and LeBron James (19 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists) ensured that OKC was never in the contest.
On that note, here are some key moments in the marquee Monday clash between both teams.
OKC Thunder vs LA Lakers game highlights and results: Top five moments of the game
#5 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showcases his playmaking pyrotechnics
The OKC Thunder were off to a hot start. When Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wasn't shooting his precision baskets, he was making the right plays.
He breezed past Austin Reaves with 5:32 left in the first quarter and found Josh Giddey who streaked past Rui Hachimura for a comfortable deuce. The Thunder's objective was to score in the paint, and they started off on the right note.
#4 The Chet Holmgren hustle
Chet Holmgren might not have had a great night with Anthony Davis locking him up, but that didn't stop the rookie from putting in the hustle.
The Thunder trailed LA for most of the game. After an Austin Reaves pass was intercepted, Aaron Wiggins collected the ball and raced to the other end. He missed the shot after it bounced off the board, but Holmgren collected the rebound and put it back in.
#3 Lugentz Dort thwacks LeBron James on the head
Some plays are unintentional, and that's the nature of the sport. In what was a bit of a comedy of errors, Thunder guard-forward Lu Dort attempted to stop LeBron James as he was gearing up to drive to the basket.
In his attempt to stop the Lakers star, he ended up slapping him flush on the head instead.
#2 The LeBron James- Anthony Davis connection just gets better
With 5:30 left in the third quarter, the Lakers led 70-64 when LeBron James took possession and slid in an assist between Chet Holmgren and Josh Giddey.
Anthony Davis was right on the OKC big and lapped up the ball for a layup only to be fouled by Giddey. The play resulted in two points and one to help LA increase its lead.
#1 D'Angelo Russell's stumbling 3-pointer has Lakers bench roaring
D'Angelo Russell was 2-of-6 from beyond the arc at one stage, only for him to get into a red-hot streak as he buried two tough shots.
One of them came in the fourth quarter with 9:13 left in the final stretch. James passed the ball to Russell, who was guarded by Jalen Williams to his left. With Williams in his line of vision, the guard released the ball mid-air and stumbled away.
The target was bang on, and the 3-pointer counted. The Lakers bench went wild as Russell was mobbed by his teammates.
