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LeBron James and Anthony Davis failed to impress in a 101-93 loss to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night in NBA Cup action.
While the game was close through four quarters, Gilgeous-Alexander essentially put the nail in the coffin with a three-pointer to put the Thunder up 95-91 with just under two minutes remaining in the game.
Friday’s matchup between the Lakers and Thunder took place in West Group B of the NBA Cup bracket. The Lakers entered the game tied for first alongside three other teams, holding a 2-1 record. The Thunder, meanwhile, entered half a game behind with a 1-1 record.
Gilgeous-Alexander carried the Thunder on Friday without Chet Holmgren, who is sidelined with a hip fracture.
The star point guard notched 36 points, six rebounds, nine assists, two steals and a block in 37 minutes on the floor. Jalen Williams, OKC’s 2022 first-round pick, was also brilliant, finishing with 19 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals in the win.
James, Davis and the Lakers couldn’t match the play of Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams, though it didn’t help that a key starter—Austin Reaves—missed some time with an apparent injury and didn’t return until the third quarter.
James finished the game with just 12 points to go along with eight rebounds and six assists in 33 minutes. Davis, meanwhile, notched 15 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and four blocks in 38 minutes.
Fans criticized James and Davis for a rough first half that continued into the third quarter and beyond:
With the win, the Thunder jump ahead of the Lakers in the West Group B. L.A. will be back in action on Sunday against the Utah Jazz in regular-season action.
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