Thunder Rout Lakers 131-108, Take 3-0 Series Lead

Sport

By lines

May 10, 2026

The Oklahoma City Thunder dismantled the Los Angeles Lakers 131-108 in Game 3 on Saturday. The Thunder hold a 3-0 series lead in the Western Conference semifinals. Oklahoma City has won eight straight postseason games. That streak is the most in Thunder franchise history.

The Thunder-Lakers Series in Five Takeaways

Second-year guard Ajay Mitchell led Oklahoma City with 24 points and a double-double in Game 3. Mitchell emerged as a breakout playoff contributor with Jalen Williams sidelined for the Thunder. ESPN reported that Los Angeles’ defense keyed on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Mitchell exploited that coverage to score 24 points on Saturday night.

Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton recorded just one defensive rebound across the entire game. Lakers head coach JJ Redick appeared to mouth “I can’t play him” after watching Ayton cede another basket. Redick told reporters postgame: “They’ve kicked our ass three straight games.”

CBS Sports flagged Los Angeles’ inability to trust Ayton as the defining flaw of this series. Oklahoma City outscored the Lakers by 23 points in Game 3 alone. The Thunder improved to 7-0 in the 2026 postseason with Saturday’s blowout victory.

TNT analyst Charles Barkley grabbed a broom and swept the floor on Inside the NBA after Game 3. Barkley called Oklahoma City a legitimate championship contender. Barkley cited the Thunder’s franchise record of eight straight postseason wins as the evidence.