Player Grades: Lakers vs. Thunder

Grading every Lakers player’s performance from the team’s 126-99 win over the Thunder.

Consider this a warning: the Lakers just beat the best team in the NBA and the game wasn’t even close.

Los Angeles dominated from the jump and outscored OKC in every quarter, resulting in a blowout win on the road. The Lakers were red-hot from deep, tying a franchise record with 22 made 3-pointers.

So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

LeBron James

34 minutes, 19 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 9-16 FG, 1-1 3PT, +7

The fact that LeBron had a boring game, but the Lakers dominated, is a very good sign. LeBron had a cool 19 points and his best highlight was a fastbreak slam during the second half.

Beyond that he didn’t have to do much as Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves dominated offensively.

Grade: B

Rui Hachimura

32 minutes, 11 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 4-10 FG, 2-6 3PT, 1-1 FT, +8

Hachimura returned after missing a game due to left patellar tendinopathy and was solid. He did a great job on the boards, but was a little inefficient shooting 4-10 from the field. The Lakers shot well from deep, but Rui was not a part of that, going 2-6 from 3-point range.

Overall, not a bad game, but we’ve seen better from him.

Grade: B-

Jaxson Hayes

13 minutes, 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3-4 FG, 1-4 FT, +10

This game started with a Hayes dunk, an early indicator that he was ready to go on Sunday. He cleaned up the glass and during one of the few moments OKC showed signs of life, Hayes responded with an emphatic dunk in traffic.

Hayes still didn’t play much, but he made his minutes matter. As long as he continues to play at this level, he’ll be a positive and a key part of the rotation the rest of the way.

Grade: B-

Austin Reaves

34 minutes, 20 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 7-15 FG, 4-8 3 PT, 2-2 FT, +14

This was your typical great game from Reaves. He was driving inside and scoring, shooting 50% from 3-point range, helping to bury the Thunder. Reaves has no ceiling at this point and Lakers fans should be excited to see what he does this postseason.

Grade: B-

Luka Dončić

38 minutes, 30 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 11-20 FG, 5-11 3PT, 3-4 FT, +18

Luka was a menace in the first half. He bullied the Thunder defenders and either scored in the paint or drilled 3-pointers. Add in some dazzling passes and Luka had 22 points and five assists by halftime. This gave the Lakers a 22-point cushion and they never looked back.

Last year, Luka was a part of the Dallas Mavericks team that eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder. He might get a chance to do it again this season, but this time, with the Lakers.

Grade: A-

Dorian Finney-Smith

30 minutes, 14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 4-5 FG, 4-5 3PT, 2-2 FT, +28

Given how much he played, this was a near-perfect performance by DFS. He went 4-5 from 3-point range, was aggressive defensively and had the best plus-minus on the team at +28.

When he is playing this well and the Lakers’ big three show up, defeating Los Angeles is nearly impossible.

Grade: A+

Gabe Vincent

27 minutes, 12 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 4-7 FG, 4-7 3PT, +28

DFS and Vincent have some pretty great jobs. Offensively, they just take 3-pointers, and when they make them, it destroys the other side.

Vincent is the Lakers’ most Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde player, but on Sunday, only the doctor arrived in OKC.

He shot well from the field, matching DFS’ four threes, making it a really good offensive game for the reserves.

Grade: A+

Jarred Vanderbilt

15 minutes, 3 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 0-1 FG, 3-4 FT, +4

Before he was subbed into the game, Vando looked amped up. He jumped up and down near the scorer’s table, ready to contribute.

Vando did just that, buzzing around like a bee all over the court, agitating the Thunder players as they tried to find an offensive rhythm. OKC bailed him out a couple of times, fouling him near the rim and Vando scored those points.

Overall, this was one of his better games, and this will likely be the role he plays in the playoffs.

Grade: B-

Jordan Goodwin, Dalton Knecht, Bronny James, Christian Koloko

None of these players clocked in over 10 minutes, so they will not get a grade. Goodwin was close at nine minutes and played well, but his role shrank just a bit with Vincent getting an extra shift.

JJ Redick

The Lakers earned their best win of the year over the top team in the NBA. I have no other choice but to give Redick a very high grade. The players stepped up, he used his challenges well and I like him giving Vincent and DFS more time while they were hot from deep.

It’ll be interesting to see how both the Lakers and Thunder play in the rematch on Tuesday, but on Sunday, the Los Angeles Lakers were far and away the better team.

Grade: A

Sunday’s DNPs: Alex Len, Markieff Morris

Sunday’s inactives: Maxi Kleber, Trey Jemison III

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.