LeBron James Makes His Opinion of Thunder Very Clear

After such a crushing defeat, James didn’t mince words about the Thunder’s dominance. The NBA's all-time leading scorer made his opinion of OKC very clear.

"We understand and know what they're capable of,” the NBA superstar said, via the Lakers Nation. “They beat the [expletive] out of us from the start tonight.”

Reaves also echoed that blunt assessment.

"They beat the [expletive] out of us," Reaves said, via OKC Thunder Wire. “They're the defending champs. We gotta be better. I don't know. Losing always sucks. No matter if it was by one of 50. A loss is a loss.”

Injuries also made the night even worse. Lakers star Luka Doncic exited the game in the third quarter after suffering a left hamstring injury.

Shooting guard Austin Reaves also suffered a minor back injury in the first half but returned to play in the second half. Veteran guard Marcus Smart remained on the sidelines with an ankle injury.

However, James refused to let the loss or the injuries shake the team’s confidence. 

“Nothing has changed," James told ESPN. "We still will be [together]. Obviously, we'll be tested with the head of the snake [missing] ... But nothing is rattled. It's one game, it's part of the NBA season, it's the defending champions. We get it. We understand."

On Friday, Doncic underwent an MRI, which revealed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain. He will now be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season.

The Lakers have five games left before the NBA playoffs start later this month. They sit third in the Western Conference at 50–27 and have secured a playoff spot.