NBA: With each team missing top scorer, Thunder push past Lakers

Jalen Williams scored 23 points and Isaiah Joe added 19 as the Oklahoma City Thunder snapped a two-game losing streak with a 119-110 win over the visiting Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. Both teams were missing an All-Star in the matchup.

Alex Caruso contributed 17 points, while Chet Holmgren finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Thunder. Oklahoma City played without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, sidelined with an abdominal strain for the third straight game. Gilgeous-Alexander will be replaced in the All-Star Game on Sunday by Houston Rockets’ Alperen Sengun.

The Thunder overcame an eight-point deficit in the third quarter to avoid a season-high three-game losing streak.

LeBron James scored 22 points and recorded 10 assists, while Marcus Smart added 19 points for the Lakers, whose three-game winning streak came to an end. Los Angeles also missed Luka Doncic for the second straight game due to a left hamstring strain.

Austin Reaves scored 16 points and Jake LaRavia added 14 for the Lakers, who are 0-2 against Oklahoma City this season. The teams are scheduled to meet two more times before the regular season ends. Doncic (32.8 points per game) and Gilgeous-Alexander (31.8) remain the NBA’s top two scorers.

The Thunder trailed 99-98 before Isaiah Hartenstein’s dunk with 7:08 left sparked an 11-2 run. Williams’ 3-pointer with 3:05 remaining put Oklahoma City ahead 109-101. James pulled Los Angeles within 111-108 on a dunk with 1:43 left, but Holmgren’s offensive rebound and follow-up dunk at 1:17 restored a five-point lead for the Thunder. Williams sealed the victory with two free throws for a 117-110 lead with 36 seconds remaining.

Oklahoma City had led by as many as 11 points in the third quarter before the Lakers went on a 22-3 run to take an 85-77 lead. The Thunder regained momentum and led 93-91 going into the fourth quarter after a late Caruso 3-pointer.

The Thunder led by 14 points in the first half, heading into halftime with a 67-58 advantage. Joe had 16 points in the first half for Oklahoma City, while Reaves led the Lakers with 12.

—Field Level Media/Reuters