The Lakers earned an impressive road victory against the Thunder by feasting from beyond the arc.
On Sunday, the Lakers faced a crucial season test with the first of two matchups on the road against the Thunder, the team with the best record in the NBA.
Thanks to their incredible shooting, Los Angeles dominated from start to finish. They demonstrated a unique combination of shot-making and creating. Something they will need to bring into the postseason.
The Lakers connected on 15 first-half 3-pointers, scored 78 points and took a 22-point lead into the break. They never looked back, gaining an impressive 126-99 victory on the road.
The Thunder boasts the league’s number one defense and utilizes two talented big men to counter opposing offensive players. The chess match between the bigs and the Lakers’ offensive creators began early.
Tying a franchise record with 22 3-pointers, the Lakers had four players, each making four or more shots from behind the arc. Whenever a team shoots 55% from downtown, some shooting luck is bound to be involved.
The question is, how did the Lakers generate these looks?
Watch the clip below as stellar defender Luguentz Dort matches up against Luka Dončić. A quick double-ball screen with Jaxson Hayes and Rui Hachimura allows him to get the defender he prefers to attack, big man Isaiah Hartenstein.
The Thunder switched these actions, resulting in a patented step-back 3-pointer that put Dončić on the scoreboard.
A few possessions later, he connected once again in the same situation. The relentless attack continued with a pull-up shot over Chet Holmgren, the Thunders’ other big man.
Dončić finished the first quarter with 14 points and five made 3-pointers. He’d finish the game with 30 points, his 13th game of 30 or more already in the purple and gold and sixth in the last ten games.
Once Dončić went to the bench, it was Austin Reaves’ turn to take control. In the clip below, Reaves is defended by Cason Wallace. The Thunder opted to employ Holmgren in a traditional drop coverage, which essentially concedes pull-up threes.
Reaves comes off and knocks down the pull-up jump shot. A few possessions later, Reaves hit another shot from downtown, but this time over Wallace, who went under the ball screen action involving Holmgren.
Reaves finished with four made 3-pointers, part of a 20-point night for the Lakers guard.
Once individual shot-making is established, the floodgates open, and “Luka magic” happens.
Watch below as Dončić is initially defended by Alex Caruso. A high ball screen from Hayes initiates the switch he desires with Holmgren. A quick behind-the-back dribble creates separation, leaving Dorian Finney-Smith wide open in the corner.
Finney-Smith is a much-needed spacer against the Thunder’s aggressive defensive style, and he made them pay. DFS connected on four of five 3-pointers, contributing 14 points and seven rebounds.
Dončić followed this with a Houdini-like pass. Watch below as he once again uses a screen from Hayes to shake off Dort as his on-ball defender. Hartenstein meets him at half court, now having to respect the jump shot.
Dončić drives and makes a behind-the-back pass to Vincent, who sinks one of his four 3-pointers, bringing his total to 12 points off the bench.
LeBron James made his only 3-point attempt, but had 19 points in the win. He recorded three of his seven assists that led directly to made 3-pointers.
The Lakers demonstrated that even against the best defense in the league, they have a big three capable of consistently breaking down defenses and a supporting cast that will make you pay if left open.
With the playoffs around the corner and Redick’s system encouraging as many 3-pointers as possible, this might be the first time they made this many threes this year, but don’t expect it to be the last.