April 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) controls the ball against Los Angeles Lakers forward Drew Timme (17) and forward Rui Hachimura (28) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Isaiah Joe's Big Night From Deep Headlines Takeaways In The Thunder's Big Win Over The Lakers

Originally posted on Oklahoma City Thunder on SI
By Grayson Buchanan | Last updated Apr 8, 2026 12:53 AM ET

The reigning champs had another easy night on the road.

Oklahoma City took care of business in Los Angeles as they beat the Lakers 123-87. It was a backcourt game with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 25 points, Jared McCain scoring 15 and Ajay Mitchell adding nine of his own.

OKC took a seven-point lead at the end of the first, but then outscored the Lakers by 11 in the second quarter to really pull away. The short-handed Lakers had no chance to keep up down the stretch, and were truly at a disadvantage.

Here are three takeaways from the Thunder’s blowout win over the the Lakers.

Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

1. Isaiah Joe leads the attack from deep

The OKC sharpshooter made his mark on this game, and early. Joe shot three shots from beyond the arc in the first and made all of them. His 100% shooting from three in the first quarter propelled OKC’s shooting from deep for the rest of the game, as the team ended shooting 51% from three.

Joe would finish the game with 18 points, hitting six threes and shooting 66.7% from deep. OKC doesn’t place its identity in the deep ball, but when Joe is hitting, then the whole team seems to benefit.

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

2. An all around performance for Chet Holmgren

The Thunder big man made his presence known throughout the game, and in multiple areas. Holmgren had a double-double in Tuesday night’s matchup against the Lakers with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Holmgren had an efficient performance as well, as he shot 60% from the field.

The young star also did his job on the defensive end as he added two steals and two blocks to his resume when the night was all said and done. Holmgren came alive Tuesday night when the Thunder needed him most, and Oklahoma City will need to continue to see this out of him with the postseason approaching fast.

Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

3. Closer to locking in the top spot

With Tuesday night’s win over the Lakers, the Thunder only has three games remaining in its schedule. Oklahoma City is still sitting at the top spot in the West and just needs one more win to lock in the No.1 seed for good.

This is a very realistic goal as the Thunder end the season with the Clippers, Nuggets and Suns. OKC will get the first of these chances on Wednesday night, and if Oklahoma City is as dominant as it was in this bout against the Lakers, that top spot is as good as the Thunder's.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma City Thunder on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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