The Thunder did what they do best. 

They swarmed the Lakers. They dizzied them. They slowly unraveled them with an unparalleled level of physicality. 

But the Lakers felt as though they weren’t just facing the defending champions in Game 2 of their second-round playoff series on Thursday. They felt as though they had another adversary on the court. 

The referees. 

After the Lakers’ 125-107 loss to the Thunder, frustrations spilled over. 

JJ Redick sarcastically reiterated that the Thunder are “the most disruptive team without fouling.” LeBron James gave one-sentence responses when asked about the officiating while staring straight ahead. Austin Reaves opened up about feeling “disrespected.” 

But the Lakers can’t blame the referees. 

They’re down 2-0. They’ve lost both games by 18 points. They’ve averaged 19.5 turnovers this series.

The Lakers need to look in the mirror before pointing the finger. They need to figure out a way to stop the Thunder from blowing open games. They need to protect the ball. They need to make their 3-pointers. 

The Thunder are stunningly aggressive. They’ve mastered gamesmanship.

Reigning NBA champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got the nickname “Foul Merchant” for a reason. The Lakers knew what they were getting into with this series.  

“They’re super tightknit,” Redick said. “They don’t complain to the officials and maybe they’re the beneficiaries of that, I don’t know.”

Do the Thunder get away with fouls? Absolutely. 

Are the Thunder masters at drawing fouls? Absolutely.

Is there something absurd about the fact that James has only shot five combined free throws over the last two games? Absolutely. 

Is that an excuse for the Lakers’ loss? No way. 

The Lakers lost their cool. They let their emotions take over. It took them out of the game. It was a distraction. 

The Lakers can’t do that, even if they had reason to be upset. 

With just under 5 minutes left in the first quarter, James was irate that he didn’t get a whistle after Jaylin Williams clobbered him as he went up for a layup. He fell to the ground. He grabbed at his hip.  

“LeBron has the worst whistle of any star player I’ve ever seen,” Redick said. “I mean, I’ve been with him two years now. The smaller guys, because they can be theatric, they typically draw more fouls. And the bigger players that are built like LeBron, it’s hard for them.”

As for James? He wanted to keep his money after Game 2. 

When asked if he was satisfied with the referees’ responses when he was talking to them throughout the game, he deadpanned, “No.”

As for why James doesn’t think he gets a lot of whistles? 

“I don’t know,” he said. 

Then there’s Austin Reaves, who lost his cool in the fourth quarter when he felt as though referee John Goble snapped at him when he tried to switch spots before a jump ball. 

“I was just trying to keep an advantage,” Reaves said. “And he turned around and just yelled in my face. I just thought it was disrespectful.”

Reaves started barking at Goble. He had to be held back by Luka Doncic. He directed an expletive at the referee.

But as the Lakers were focused on what they viewed as the officials’ faux pas, they let the game get away from them. 

It’s a shame because they showed a lot of toughness in Game 2.

The Lakers were surrounded by a sea of dark blue shirts and a decibel level that will probably cause future hearing damage, and they fought like hell against a deeper, younger and better team.

There were 12 lead changes and five ties. The Lakers tried to match the Thunder’s physicality. In the first half, they outshot the Thunder from beyond the 3-point line 43.8% to 25%. They held reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to 22 points. ‘

James had another strong performance, finishing with 23 points on 9-for-18 shooting, six assists and three steals. Reaves, who had just eight points in Game 1, roared back with a game-high 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting, 3-for-6 from deep in Game 2.

But ultimately, the Thunder turned a 5-point lead with 7:36 left into a route. They got under the Lakers’ skin. They frustrated them. They did what reigning champions do.

The Lakers are playing against the best defense in the league. It’s suffocating. It’s overwhelming.

They need to figure out a way to generate enough offense in spite of the Thunder’s superpower. They don’t need to bemoan what the referees may have missed.

It’s not helpful.

It’s not the reason why they’re two losses away from their season ending.

“We didn’t lose because of the refs,” Redick said. “That’s never the case. You don’t lose because of refs, You lose because the other team outplays you. And Oklahoma City outplayed us.”

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