Luka Doncic scored 30 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a dominant 126-99 win over the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, as the Lakers tightened their grip on a playoff spot with a record-breaking shooting performance.
The highly anticipated Western Conference clash was all but over by halftime, with the Lakers draining a franchise-record 15 three-pointers in the first half to take a commanding 78-56 lead.
They finished the night with 22 total threes, with Doncic hitting five and Austin Reaves adding four in a 20-point showing. LeBron James chipped in 19 points.
“We knew we couldn’t let up,” James said. “They’re the No.1 team in the West for a reason. This was a statement win.”
Oklahoma City struggled to keep pace, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 26 points not enough to overcome a poor shooting night from the Thunder, who hit just 12 of their 37 three-point attempts.
With only days left in the regular season, the Lakers (48-30) remain in a tight race for the final automatic playoff spots in the West, with six teams still in contention.
In San Francisco, the Golden State Warriors’ five-game win streak ended in a 106-96 loss to second-placed Houston, while the Cleveland Cavaliers missed a chance to clinch the East’s No.1 seed after a 120-113 home defeat to Sacramento. Zach LaVine starred for the Kings with 37 points.
The Boston Celtics kept their hopes of overtaking Cleveland alive with a 124-90 blowout of the Washington Wizards.
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