3 Takeaways From OKC Thunder's Win Back Over Los Angeles Lakers

The Oklahoma City Thunder made sure the Los Angeles Lakers didn't strike twice on Tuesday night.

On Sunday, the Thunder fell to the Lakers in a blowout loss but recovered to pick up a 136-120 win on its second try in back-to-back matchups. Though it looked like the Los Angeles roster could be without much of its roster due to injuries, most everyone on the injury report suited up for gametime.

However, that didn't seem to matter much. After a costly second technical foul forced Luka Doncic to exit in the first half of the fourth quarter, Oklahoma City dominated for the remaining time of the game to pick up a convincing victory.

Avoiding dropping both games was crucial for the Thunder, especially with a series possible againsst the Lakers down the road.

Here are three takeaways from the 16-point win:

Securing the Ball

Oklahoma City boasts the NBA's lowest turnover rate — 11.6% — for a reason.

The ability to take care of the basketball was on full display for the Thunder last night. It only sustained six turnovers throughout the game, which severely diminished the opportunity for Los Angeles to get out to easy fast break opportunities.

The Lakers only scored six points on fast breaks — a higher total than the five points they were able to score off turnovers. Aside from Chet Holmgren, every player on Oklahoma City had a higher assist total than their turnover total.

Meanwhile, securing the ball was one of the biggest issues for Los Angeles. The Thunder defense forced 18 turnovers, giving it 29 points that became a huge separator in the final score.

Not being prone to turnovers is just another area Oklahoma City has been highly successful in this season. It's a good trait to have, especially for when opposing defenses get tougher in the playoffs.

Getting Back to Hot Shooting

The Thunder didn't shoot well in either of its last two losses against the Lakers and Houston Rockets, but a strong rhythm was found in this win.

Oklahoma City finished the game with 18-of-37 shooting from behind the arc, which averages out to a nearly 49% clip. Los Angeles knocked down 18 triples in its own right, so it definitely wasn't a one-sided scoring affair.

Regardless, the Thunder saw some encouraging signs. The progress in the jumper of Luguentz Dort has been impressive all season, but last night was quite the impressive case. The guard hit 5-of-8 3-point shots and recorded 17 points.

Though Shai Gilgeous-Alexander doesn't particularly emphasize the 3-pointer, he made it a point to be active there himself. En route to a 42-point performance, the MVP candidate shot 5-of-9 from 3-point range.

Lacking the ability to shoot from the perimeter is one of those things Oklahoma City can't afford to go through in the playoffs. Ieally for it, this can be a jumping off point in keeping it strong from the outside.

Thunder Don't Have to Worry

Seeing the results of the game without Doncic's two technical fouls would've been more beneficial in assessing the Thunder against the Lakers, but things happen.

It's not exactly a benchmark to see what the series would look like, but getting back the win was important. While the Western Conference standings are still very much in the realm of unpredictability, a playoff matchup between the two teams seems very realistic at some point.

Even before the Doncic ejection, Oklahoma City looked much more confident against Los Angeles than it had the last time. Everything clicked more on the offensive end, while it hounded the Lakers in passing lanes and with a striking defensive presence.

The last stretch of the regular season hasn't exactly gone in the Thunder's favor, but it also doesn't truly matter for it, either. It's had the No. 1 seed on lock for weeks and doesn't have to prove anything — it is absolutely still the favorite.

The initial loss to Los Angeles might've stirred the pot, but beating it on another try ensured that Oklahoma City shouldn't panic.