NBA

Lakers flex title muscles against Thunder as Doncic steals the show

The Slovenian scored 30 points to lead the Los Angeles Thunder to a strong win over the league’s top regular-season team.

Doncic (77) shoots against Alex Caruso (9)*AP / Cordon Press*

Published by

Israel Duro

April 7, 2025

4 minutes read

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Fueled by a 30-point masterclass from Luka Doncic, the Los Angeles Lakers delivered an emphatic 126–99 win on Sunday against the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder — a statement victory that strengthens their push for the upcoming NBA playoffs. The Thunder, owners of the league’s best regular-season record (64–14), were thoroughly outplayed in front of their home crowd. The Lakers, ignited by red-hot perimeter shooting, tied a franchise record with 22 made three-pointers.

Doncic took control from the opening tip, finishing with 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists in a standout game against Canadian star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — a leading contender for this season’s MVP award.

Bitter record for SGA

Gilgeous-Alexander couldn't contain the Slovenian phenom, but he still dropped 26 points, extending his streak to 20+ point games to 71, the longest in the NBA since 1964.

Donic, who knocked down five three-pointers, spearheaded the Lakers' perimeter onslaught. The team caught fire early, hitting 15 of 21 attempts from beyond the arc in the first half — an incredible 71% clip. By the final buzzer, the Lakers had drained 22 of 40 threes, finishing with a scorching 55% from deep.

Minutes for Bronny James

The visitors stormed into halftime with a commanding 78–56 lead and never let up, stretching the margin to as much as 29 points. LeBron James contributed 19 points in a controlled performance, as the focused Lakers calmly withstood every attempt by the Thunder to mount a comeback. Shooting guard Austin Reaves stepped up as Doncic's key partner on the night, adding 20 points of his own.

With the win secured, coach JJ Redick gave rookie Bronny James a late cameo, subbing him in with two minutes remaining. The son of LeBron James, who hadn’t played since March 22, made the most of his time — knocking down a three-pointer and grabbing a rebound.

The Lakers took third place in the West

With the win, the Los Angeles team climbed to third place in the Western Conference (48–30), trailing only the Houston Rockets (52–27) and the first-place Thunder. With just a week remaining in the regular season, the Lakers reaffirmed that the stunning February acquisition of Doncic— in a surprising trade from the Dallas Mavericks — has transformed them into a legitimate threat to any playoff contender.

"It's a really good win for us, we can build off of it," LeBron said. "We're trying to solidify our habits for the home stretch of the year."

Another beastly triple-double from Jokic

Sunday's most significant stat line once again belonged to reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, who recorded another triple-double with 41 points, 15 rebounds, and 13 assists in the Denver Nuggets' 125–120 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

The Serbian center, who scored 61 points against the Timberwolves on Tuesday, seemed poised for another monster performance, finishing the first quarter with 21 points already in the books.

Jokic is averaging a staggering 45 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists over his last three games, all of which have ended in losses for Denver.

Curry, lights out in Warriors' loss to Rockets

Stephen Curry, on the other hand, had an unusually quiet night in the Golden State Warriors' 106–96 loss to the Houston Rockets.

The Warriors star, who erupted for 52 points on Tuesday, was limited to just 3 points in this game, with his only highlight coming from a stunning 3-pointer near halfcourt just before the break.

Curry missed nine of his 10 shots against the stifling defense of the Texans, finishing with his lowest offensive output since December.

Heads and tails for Knicks and Cavaliers

In New York, Jalen Brunson made his return to the Knicks after a month-long absence, contributing 15 points in 34 minutes to help secure a 112–98 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

It was a tough night for the top teams. The Cleveland Cavaliers, currently sitting at number one in the East, were defeated at home by the Kings, 113–120.