The Oklahoma City Thunder completed a dominant sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers with a 115-110 victory in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals on Tuesday, advancing to the conference finals. LeBron James endured his fourth career playoff sweep, a humbling milestone for the future Hall of Famer. Memphis Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks was spotted courtside, smiling throughout the game, while the cheapest ticket for the contest was just $90, the lowest for a Lakers home playoff game in recent years.
Both teams stuck with their starting lineups. The Thunder opened with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ajay Mitchell, Luguentz Dort, Chet Holmgren, and Isaiah Hartenstein. The Lakers countered with Marcus Smart, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Deandre Ayton.
Mitchell, earning just $3 million this season, had been a revelation in the series, averaging 20.7 points, 3 rebounds, and 6.7 assists. The first quarter saw a sluggish Thunder side, committing five turnovers and struggling to contain Reaves, who scored 8 points on 3-of-3 shooting. Smart missed all four of his attempts, and the Lakers led 26-21 after one.
The Lakers offense went ice cold in the second quarter, missing eight consecutive shots as the Thunder ripped off a 17-0 run to seize a double-digit lead. Los Angeles benched Deandre Ayton and improved defensively, with Reaves leading a late charge to cut the halftime deficit to 49-45. Jaxson Hayes had 10 points and 3 rebounds in the first half, while Reaves finished with 15 and James added 10. Alexander posted 14 points and 4 assists but was a team-worst minus-9.
Alexander took control in the third quarter, pushing the lead to 12, but the Lakers stormed back. Hachimura scored eight straight points, James knocked down two triples, and Hayes continued his strong play, finishing the quarter with 16 points. The Lakers outscored the Thunder 39-31 to lead 84-80 heading into the fourth. Reaves had 22 points,