Image Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Drops 42 as Thunder Edge Out Lakers to get the Revenge Win

The Thunder also broke their franchise record for most victories in the regular season.

Image Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The OKC Thunder beat the Los Angeles Lakers 136-120 on Tuesday night to complete the revenge in the final of a two-game set. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 42 points to lead a stunning win, and the Thunder bounced back from a 126-99 loss to the Lakers on Sunday. The Lakers’ loss on Tuesday assured the second seed for the Houston Rockets in the West.

Luka Doncic was ejected in the fourth quarter following his second technical foul and scored 23 points before leaving the game. The Thunder outplayed the Lakers 29-12 since Doncic’s departure. LeBron James scored 28 points and Austin Reaves had 24 for the Lakers.

That home court energy 😤 pic.twitter.com/h4PU52Hpq0
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) April 9, 2025

Also Read: NBA Western Conference Playoff Picture- How many spots are still up for grabs in the Western Conference?

Top-seed Thunder outclass Lakers in fourth quarter to complete revenge

Both teams scored 43 points in the competitive first quarter and the Thunder built an eight-game lead at halftime. Oklahoma City shot 64.7% from the field in the first half and matched the fourth-highest point total (80) for a Thunder team in a half.

The Lakers pulled off a comeback in the third quarter with a 16-6 run and a deep 3-pointer by Doncic put them ahead 88-86 with five minutes left in the period. Los Angeles outscored Oklahoma City 26-17 in the third quarter to take a 98-97 lead into the fourth. During the quarter, Shai’s crossed the 20-point mark for the 72nd consecutive game, tying Jordan and Durant for the fourth-longest streak.

SGA put on a SHOW in OKC's final regular season home game!

⛈️ 42 PTS
⛈️ 6 REB
⛈️ 6 AST

His 72nd-straight 20-point game ties Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant for the fourth-longest streak in NBA history 😲 pic.twitter.com/BEgumBfng2
— NBA (@NBA) April 9, 2025

The Lakers were up 108-107 when Doncic got ejected. Gilgeous-Alexander’s step-back 3-pointer gave the Thunder a 117-112 lead with about six minutes left. And, Oklahoma City sparked a 12-3 run to take a 14-point lead with 2:48 left in the game.

Jalen Williams also scored 26 points and Chet Holmgren dropped 14. Isaiah Hartenstein added 15 rebounds and Luguentz Dort had 17 points. Oklahoma City is close to clinching the best record in the NBA and has a two-game lead on the Cleveland Cavaliers with three games remaining.

The Thunder also broke their franchise record for most victories in the regular season. It was their 65th win of the season and they previously set a record of most wins in 1995-96. Oklahoma City has 51 double-digit wins this season, the most in the NBA history surpassing the 1971-72 Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers will now take on the Dallas Mavericks in a highly-anticipated battle between Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis. The Lakers require one win to clinch a playoff spot.

Image Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Lakers

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Oklahoma City Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

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A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.