Lakers’ Austin Reaves reveals why it’s hard to beat ‘basically perfect’ Thunder squad

May 10, 2026 - 07:45

The Los Angeles Lakers are staring down the barrel of a postseason exit that nobody in Hollywood wanted to imagine. After a demoralizing 131-108 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night, the Lakers now trail 3-0 in the Western Conference Semifinals—a deficit no NBA team has ever overcome.

While fans search for answers, guard Austin Reaves offered a blunt assessment of why this particular hill feels impossible to climb. It’s not just that the Thunder are winning; it’s how they’re doing it.

“Yeah I mean they’re a connected group, their pieces fit basically perfect, so it’s just tough to beat them,” Reaves said after the Game 3 blowout. “They’ve got a good coaching staff over there that does a good job managing the game.”

Austin Reaves on the Lakers’ second-half struggles, falling behind 3-0 in the series and the focus heading into Game 4. pic.twitter.com/iNVOCMkOcM
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) May 10, 2026

The “perfect” fit Reaves mentioned was on full display at Crypto.com Arena. The Thunder operated with surgical precision that left the Lakers’ defence scrambling. Rookie Ajay Mitchell spearheaded the attack with a game-high 24 points, while superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander controlled the tempo with 23 points and eight assists. Jalen Williams also fueled the fire, chipping in 18 points as OKC improved to a flawless 7-0 this postseason.

On the other side, the Lakers looked like a collection of individuals rather than a cohesive unit. Reaves finished with a gritty 17 points and nine assists, but his efforts couldn’t mask the team’s defensive lapses. Rui Hachimura led L.A. with 21 points, and LeBron James provided 19 points and eight assists, but the Lakers simply couldn’t buy a stop in the second half.

With Game 4 looming on Monday, the Lakers have one last chance to save face and avoid the brooms. However, as Reaves pointed out, beating a team that plays this “connected” requires a level of execution the Purple and Gold haven’t shown yet. If they don’t find it fast, their season will end in a quiet sweep.

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