Luka Doncic and the Lakers had a rough outing against the Thunder in Thursday’s marquee clash. The Purple and Gold were down by 31 points at halftime after some hot shooting from OKC and stiffling defense that limited Los Angeles to 45.7% shooting on just 35 attempts. For context, the Thunder shot 60.4% on 53 attempts.
While most of the blame should have fallen on the Lakers’ lackluster execution early in the contest, fans also believed the Thunder’s questionable, uncalled defense was an issue. OKC is known for being a physical team. In fairness to the Lakers fans, the Thunder did grab and hold Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, in particular, leading to their struggles.
Reaves also injured himself and briefly exited the clash. He injured his back and clutched at it during the first half. Meanwhile, the Lakers went to the line 18 times after OKC refused to let them get a shot up at the rim, often resorting to hard fouls.
As things worked in the Thunder’s favor, Lakers fans vented their frustrations on X about the officiating. Here’s how they reacted:
“They hold on every possession,” another fan said.
“Yh the refs is giving OKC all the help the needed so don’t be surprised,” one fan wrote.
“Okc also has the hometown refs in their back pocket,” one fan added.
“okc is a top 7 – 9 if the refs are not in yall team,” another wrote.
Double injury blow for Lakers as Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves face concerns after OKC clash
The Lakers didn’t have anything going their way on Thursday as they lost 139-96. Moreover, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves suffered injuries. Reaves suffered a back injury in the first half. While he returned to play, JJ Redick said the Lakers will evaluate him on Friday. Here’s what Reaves said about the injury:
“I went back to get a rebound, overextended a little bit, and I felt something. But I feel decent right now, so we’ll see.”
At the same time, Doncic was dealing with a hamstring injury. He continued to play after getting minor treatment in the second half. However, late in the third quarter, Doncic pulled his hamstring on an offensive possession and couldn’t continue. He dealt with a hamstring strain on the same leg in February.
Doncic could miss considerable time, given his reaction. He limped off and lay on the floor for a bit before leaving the game. The Lakers will conduct an MRI on Friday to determine the extent of Doncic’s injury.
