The Oklahoma City Thunder made a commanding start to their NBA Conference semi-final series, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 108-90 to take a 1-0 lead.
The defending champions and Western Conference top seed delivered a clinical all-round performance at home, combining efficient scoring with a strong defensive effort that restricted the Lakers to their lowest playoff total since 2021.
Chet Holmgren led the Thunder with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell contributed 18 points each.
For the Lakers, LeBron James top-scored with 27 points, but the team struggled offensively throughout the contest. Head coach JJ Redick admitted his side made too many mistakes against a quality opponent.
The Lakers were also without Luka Dončić, who remains sidelined with a hamstring injury and could miss the second game of the series.
In another semi-final clash, the Detroit Pistons secured a 111-101 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers to go 1-0 up in their series.
Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 23 points, with Tobias Harris adding 20. For Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points, while James Harden chipped in with 22 but struggled with turnovers.
