“They got exposed.” @KendrickPerkins talks about the Lakers’ pivotal Game 3 loss to the Thunder plus the Cavs defending home court and Steve Kerr’s extension with the Warriors ✍️
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Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers during an NBA playoff game.
Despite a strong first half, the Los Angeles Lakers were no match for the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of their second-round playoff series.
The Lakers were ahead at halftime, but they still suffered a 131-108 loss. They are now down 3-0 to the Thunder and are in danger of getting swept.
Six Lakers players scored in double digits, led by Rui Hachimura‘s 21 points. LeBron James had 19 points, six rebounds and eight assists, while Luke Kennard scored 18 points off the bench.
Austin Reaves finished with 17 points and nine assists, but they were all outshined by Ajay Mitchell, who scored a game-high 24 points and dished 10 assists. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 23 points on 20 shots.
GettyAjay Mitchell #25 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket against Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the fourth quarter in Game Three of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on May 09, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Speaking on Saturday night’s episode of ESPN’s SportsCenter, Kendrick Perkins declared that the series is over for the Lakers. They are no match against the defending NBA champions, pointing to LeBron James’ body language in Game 3.
“Look, the Lakers just don’t stand a chance,” Perkins said, via ClutchPoints. “They don’t match up to the champs. This series is over. You saw LeBron James’ body language. He can kill this, and he’s trying not to stretch himself out.”
“They got exposed.” @KendrickPerkins talks about the Lakers’ pivotal Game 3 loss to the Thunder plus the Cavs defending home court and Steve Kerr’s extension with the Warriors ✍️
Perkins then explained how the Lakers’ lack of athleticism was exposed by the Thunder. They couldn’t keep up with the defending champs, especially Austin Reaves, who got targeted by the Thunder.
“What happened was they got exposed, right?” Perkins said. “They got exposed from a personnel standpoint. It showed that the Lakers are just not athletic enough to keep up with these top dogs in the league, especially Austin Reaves. He was picked on time and time again defensively.”
The Lakers aren’t done yet, but no team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in NBA history. They played a valiant series against the Houston Rockets in the first round, but the Thunder are just on a different level.
GettyAustin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers calls a play during the first half of a game against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena on March 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Speaking to reporters after Game 3, Austin Reaves wasn’t interested in giving up and was looking forward to the next game. Reaves was adamant that the Lakers are going to give everything they have on Monday in front of their fans at Crypto.com Arena.
“Obviously, this situation sucks, but that doesn’t give us the license to quit,” Reaves said, via Fadeaway World. “We gotta come in here and compete. We owe the organization that, we owe each other that, we owe our fans that. So we’re gonna come here Monday and play as hard as we can.”
The last time the Lakers faced a 3-0 deficit was in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Denver Nuggets. They won Game 4 at home, but they were eliminated in Game 5.
Juan Paolo David Juan Paolo David is a sports journalist covering basketball for Heavy. He has a decade of experience writing about the NBA and WWE. He's currently based in the Philippines. More about Juan Paolo David
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