The Oklahoma City Thunder faced their toughest test of the playoffs yet, but they passed it with flying colors. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points, Chet Holmgren delivered a tiebreaking dunk with 32.8 seconds remaining, and the Thunder finished off a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers with a 115-110 victory in Game 4 on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Oklahoma City improved to 8-0 in the postseason and advanced to the Western Conference finals for the sixth time in the last 16 seasons. This was the closest contest of the playoffs for the Thunder, who had won the previous three games by 18, 18, and 23 points.
The Lakers ensured this game had a different feel. They held leads at various points, kept the score tight late, and forced Oklahoma City into its first fourth-quarter deficits of the entire postseason before the Thunder closed with the composure that has defined its run.
Ajay Mitchell provided a massive spark off the bench, scoring 28 points with 10 of those coming in the final period. Holmgren added 16 points and nine rebounds, while Gilgeous-Alexander once again controlled the game with efficient scoring and steady late-game execution.
LeBron James finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds in what turned out to be the final game of his unprecedented 23rd NBA season. He missed a driving bank shot with 20 seconds left that would have put Los Angeles ahead, and that missed opportunity highlighted how close the Lakers came before the Thunder closed the door.
Austin Reaves scored 27 points and Rui Hachimura added 25, including nine in the fourth quarter, as the Lakers refused to fold. Hachimura’s four-point play and Marcus Smart’s three-point play briefly gave the Lakers a 110-109 lead in the final minute.
That advantage lasted only until Holmgren answered inside, pump-faked multiple times, and threw down a dunk for the go-ahead basket. Gilgeous-Alexander then hit two free throws, and Reaves missed a tying 3-pointer with eight seconds left as Oklahoma City sealed the sweep.
The result carried extra weight because the Thunder had beaten the Lakers eight times in eight meetings this season, including all four regular-season matchups. Even with Luka Doncic sidelined by a grade 2 hamstring strain and missing the final 15 games of the season, Los Angeles pushed further than many expected after a month of injuries changed its outlook.
Still, the Lakers missed the conference finals for the third straight season and dropped six of their final seven playoff games. Oklahoma City, meanwhile, now gets at least the rest of the week to prepare for the Western Conference finals against the winner of the San Antonio-Minnesota series.
