The Los Angeles Lakers bench got comfortably outplayed in Game 1 by the Oklahoma City Thunder, paving the way for a 108-90 victory. It was the exact same case in the Lakers' brutal 125-107 loss to the Thunder in Game 2.
In Game 1, Los Angeles lost the bench scoring battle by a difference of 34-15 to Oklahoma City. "Run it back" was the motto in Game 2, because the Lakers once again got outscored 48-20 in that department. Those are slightly skewed by the second units being emptied before this one was over.
The problems that come with that leak all over the place too. One of the main ways in which it shows up is JJ Redick being forced to run his main guys into the ground. LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura were all tasked with playing at least 38 minutes in this one due to how much of the offense they were accounting for. Marcus Smart also tallied 34.
Any hopes of a fourth quarter comeback were dashed when a much fresher Thunder team was able to hold off the Lakers. This lack of balance is going to be an excruciatingly tough thing for a team without Luka Doncic to overcome.
Lakers' woeful depth keeps sinking them against the Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was struggling with fouls throughout the night, only ended up playing 28 minutes in this matchup. Despite that, the Thunder were still able to pull away in the second half.
Jared McCain gave Oklahoma City plenty of production from the guard spots off the bench. The young guard finished with 18 points, shooting 7-of-11 from the field and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, in just 18 minutes. McCain was not the only one either.
Cason Wallace also got his fair share of run when he was asked to check in as a reserve. The Thunder guard posted 12 points, shooting 4-of-7 from the field and 2-of-3 from deep, plus four assists.
Shai could enjoy his time just rooting for his team from the sidelines. The Thunder were in good hands.
The Lakers can only dream of having such a luxury. Luke Kennard finally showed flashes of a revival, after an extended slump, with 10 points and two 3-pointers, but it was not enough.
With no Luka to cover up the Lakers' offensive flaws, they need more from the group as a whole. Right now, they are simply not getting it against an opponent that more than demands it.
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