Lakers vs. OKC Thunder: JJ Redick Says Team Is Ready

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 139-96 on April 3, 2026, in a game where the Thunder led from start to finish. According to reporting from the OKC Thunder Wire, Oklahoma City led by as many as 46 points during the matchup.

Oklahoma City established control within the first two minutes of the game, taking a 9-2 lead. The Thunder’s early momentum was fueled by forced turnovers and outside shooting, leading to a 44-21 advantage by the end of the first quarter.

Lu Dort contributed 14 points to the effort, including four successful outside shots. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played until the third quarter, checking out of the game with 33 seconds remaining in the period to a round of applause from the home crowd.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault attributed the victory to the team’s intensity and the Lakers’ struggles with shooting.

There was a make-or-miss element for the first half, especially. I thought they got good looks. The data would back that up. They had pretty good shots that they shot below expected, But I thought our energy on the offensive glass, our energy to run the misses and our pressure is what allowed us to capitalize on what was a poor shooting half.

Mark Daigneault, Thunder head coach

The Lakers struggled to find a rhythm, failing to score their first bucket for nearly five minutes. As the deficit grew, Los Angeles utilized Bronny James in an attempt to generate a spark for the team.

Lakers coach JJ Redick identified turnovers as a primary cause of the loss, stating that the turnovers, you know, obviously they killed us. Redick also noted a recurring issue with the team’s performance in the second half, observing that the Lakers continue to be a terrible third-quarter team.

The loss leaves the Los Angeles Lakers with an 8-4 overall record. The team is currently on a five-game road trip and holds a 1-2 record for that stretch, following blowout losses to both the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Atlanta Hawks.

Luka Dončić Injury

In a separate development reported by the New York Post and Google News, Luka Dončić suffered a left hamstring injury during a game against the Thunder.