Reigning champions Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder stay undefeated in playoffs and transfer on to Western Convention finals.
Revealed On 12 Might 2026
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 factors as the visiting Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder superior to the NBA Western Convention finals with a 115-110 victory over the Lakers on Monday, finishing a four-game sweep in what doubtlessly was LeBron James’ closing sport for Los Angeles.
Ajay Mitchell logged 28 factors, Chet Holmgren produced 16 factors and 9 rebounds and Jared McCain added 13 factors because the Thunder improved to 8-0 within the playoffs. Oklahoma Metropolis is ready to face the Minnesota Timberwolves or the San Antonio Spurs within the subsequent spherical.
Really useful Tales
listing of 4 objectsfinish of listing
The defending NBA champions shot 51.9% from the ground whereas the Lakers shot 50.7%. Oklahoma Metropolis gained all eight video games in opposition to Los Angeles in 2025-26, together with the common season.
Austin Reaves put up 27 factors whereas Rui Hachimura added 25 factors and eight rebounds for the Lakers, who head into the offseason with main adjustments presumably in retailer.
James, 41, amassed 24 factors and 12 rebounds. He’s now set to turn out to be an unrestricted free agent after a document 23 seasons within the league.
Jaxson Hayes added 18 factors for Los Angeles, which performed with out Luka Doncic (hamstring) all through its playoff run. Doncic was injured throughout a sport at Oklahoma Metropolis on April 2.
Gilgeous-Alexander made two free throws with 12.2 seconds remaining for a 113-110 lead, and Reaves missed what would have been a game-tying 3-point try with eight seconds left. Mitchell put the sport away by sinking two free throws with 6.4 seconds to go.
The Lakers trailed by as many as 12 factors within the third quarter earlier than happening a 22-9 run to take a 76-75 lead with 2:03 left within the interval after getting seven consecutive factors from Reaves. Los Angeles prolonged its benefit to 84-80 heading into the fourth.
The Lakers led 92-87 earlier than Mitchell capped an 8-0 run with a three-point play to present Oklahoma Metropolis a 95-92 lead with 6:14 remaining.
A four-point play from Hachimura, adopted by a three-point play from Marcus Good, put the Lakers up 110-109 with 40.9 seconds remaining. A dunk from Holmgren gave the Thunder a 111-100 lead with 32.8 seconds left.
James missed a floater over Isaiah Hartenstein with 20 seconds left earlier than Reaves and Good missed late 3-point makes an attempt.
Cavs stage sequence with Pistons
Earlier on Monday, Donovan Mitchell scored an NBA-playoff-record-tying 39 factors in the second half and completed with 43, powering the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 112-103 victory over the visiting Detroit Pistons in Sport 4 of their Japanese Convention semifinals.
The Cavaliers, who tied the best-of-seven sequence 2-2, put collectively a 24-0 run spanning halftime to stun the top-seeded Pistons. It was essentially the most consecutive factors in a playoff sport in franchise historical past.
Mitchell matched the mark for factors in a half by Eric “Sleepy” Floyd of the Golden State Warriors in opposition to the Los Angeles Lakers on Might 10, 1987, within the West semifinals.
Mitchell had simply 4 factors at halftime as a result of 1-of-8 field-goal taking pictures. After the break, he made 12 of 18 field-goal makes an attempt, 3 of seven 3-point tries and 12 of 13 free throws in 17 minutes.
“I apologised to the group (at halftime),” Mitchell mentioned postgame on NBC. “… Making an attempt to set the tone early within the offence, and I didn’t try this within the first half. I got here in and advised my guys, ‘It’s on me,’ However I attempted to make a press release within the second half.”
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson added, “Unimaginable efficiency, actually, by Donovan. An enormous-time second half for Don. When Donovan begins to get within the open courtroom, that’s when he’s at his finest.”
The seven-time All-Star logged 21 factors within the third quarter for the fourth-seeded Cavaliers. Sport 5 of the sequence is on Wednesday in Detroit.
