Desperate Lakers battle until the end in Game 4, but Thunder complete sweep

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LOS ANGELES - When the Lakers took a 3-0 series lead over the Houston Rockets in their first-round playoff series, Coach JJ Redick didn't mince words on what they needed to do to send their foes packing.

"You have to kill them," Redick said. "It's difficult to kill someone. You've got, again, survival instincts says, ‘I want to stay alive.' And so, you got to be able to kill them. That's what (it takes)."

The Lakers couldn't stop the kill on the other end of the equation, however, falling to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 115-110, in Game 4 of their second-round series on Monday night, swept into an offseason of uncertainty.

"I can't believe I just got swept," center Deandre Ayton said. "I'm really sitting on that, just upset with myself."

Game 4 was the only game of the best-of-seven series in which the Lakers were competitive until the final buzzer.

Trailing by one after Thunder big man Chet Holmgren dunked through a group of Lakers for a 111-110 lead with 33 seconds left, LeBron James took his one-on-one matchup with former Lakers guard Alex Caruso head on. The 41-year-old star, playing potentially his final NBA game, forced up a driving bank shot with 20 seconds left. The ball clanked off the rim, Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander collected it and was sent to the line for two free throws, which he made with 12 seconds left.

Down 113-110, guard Austin Reaves had a look from the left wing and took it with eight seconds left, but his 3-point attempt was off as well, allowing the Thunder to escape with a five-point victory.

"They're really (expletive) good," Reaves said when asked what the difference between the two squads was.

Reaves led the Lakers with 27 points on 8-for-16 shooting, to go with seven assists and six rebounds, while James finished with 24 points on 8-for-18 shooting to go with 12 rebounds. Rui Hachimura continued his red-hot shooting, scoring 25 points to help keep the Lakers in the game until the end.

All three players will be unrestricted free agents this summer, presuming Reaves declines his player option as has been widely expected for quite some time.

"It's been fun, it's been a joy, it's been a grind," said Reaves, who will be eligible for a five-year, $241 million max-level contract if he becomes a free agent. "A lot of things didn't go our way this season and there were a lot of opportunities for us to quit, and that's not who we got in the locker room or the organization. Everybody stuck together."

It only made sense, however, that in the game when the Lakers had the best chance of beating the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander showcased why he's the favorite to repeat as league MVP. The Canadian star recorded 35 points on 11-for-22 shooting, while leading Oklahoma City with eight assists. Ajay Mitchell, who was a thorn in the Lakers' side throughout the series, scored 10 of his 28 points in the frantic fourth quarter, as the defending champs improved to 8-0 in the playoffs.

The Lakers led by as many as five points in the fourth, after Reaves drained a 3-pointer over Caruso as the shot clock expired with 7:54 remaining. But turnovers again played a role in the Lakers' demise – they had 19 turnovers for 22 Thunder points to cap a series in which they struggled to take care of the basketball.

They kept it close down the stretch with big baskets from Reaves and Hachimura, who scored nine of his 25 points in the fourth quarter. A Holmgren dunk with 2:03 left put the Thunder ahead 109-103, but Hachimura coolly converted a four-point play. Marcus Smart then drove the lane and hit a layup while being fouled in the final minute, converting a three-point play for a 110-109 Lakers lead with 40.9 seconds left, setting the stage for Holmgren's go-ahead dunk.

The Lakers won the third quarter for the first time all series – 39-31 – to take a lead into the fourth quarter (84-80) for the first time. They trailed by as many as 12 points in the third before going on a 22-9 run. Backup center Jaxson Hayes, who recorded a playoff-career-high 18 points, stamped the quarter with a pair of high-flying dunks.

Trailing by seven, Luke Kennard drilled a second-chance 3-pointer off the bench before Reaves forced Gilgeous-Alexander to foul him on a 3-point attempt. Reaves made three free throws to bring the Lakers within one point with 2:49 left in the quarter. Then he made two more for a 76-75 lead.

"Everyone just played their asses off, we were trying to play like the more desperate team, but they're a great team," Hayes said.

The loss, however, might track back to the second quarter. As each Lakers shot clanked off the backboard, the rim, or swam through the air without contact from a player or apparatus, the absence of star Luka Doncic became even more critical.

The Lakers desperately could have used the league's leading scorer – seated on the bench in a black bomber jacket – when the Thunder were pouring in 17 unanswered points to open the second quarter, a powerful combination of the might Oklahoma City had showcased throughout series.

Doncic ultimately didn't play in the playoffs while nursing a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, still weeks away from the eight-week timetable that he repeatedly said after Game 1 was always the expected length of time he would be sidelined.

"I know some people wanted me back, but obviously I wasn't close to clearing," Doncic said during his exit interview with the media on Monday night. "It was very tough."

Maybe it was fitting that the Lakers were wearing their black too, like Doncic, on Monday night, considering the 6:22 first-half scoring lull that erased their biggest lead (five points) and sent them tumbling toward elimination.

"When the season ends there's always a whirlwind of emotions," Redick said. "I am certainly feeling a sense of gratitude for our players, the Lakers, and our fan base. You've seen these 3-0 games before; I thought there were two different times during the game where our team could have gave in or let go of the rope."

"We didn't."

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This story was originally published May 11, 2026 at 11:04 PM.