LeBron James
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Lakers' LeBron James during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in January 2026
The Los Angeles Lakers saw their three-game winning streak come to an end on Monday night, falling 119-110 to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic were sidelined with injuries. Oklahoma City pulled away late, powered by a 23-point performance from Jalen Williams.
Williams was playing his first game back after a 10-game absence due to a hamstring strain, helping the Thunder snap a two-game skid and earn just their fourth win in nine outings.
LeBron James finished with 22 points, six rebounds, and 10 assists on 9-of-17 shooting, though he went scoreless from three-point range.
Lakers’ Defensive Lapses Resurface
Familiar defensive inconsistencies resurfaced for the Lakers against a physical Thunder team, an issue that has lingered throughout the season.
Oklahoma City outrebounded Los Angeles 45-37, including a 14-9 edge on the offensive glass, and led for 68% of the game, according to ESPN.
Following the loss, James offered a blunt assessment when asked to compare the Lakers to the defending NBA champions.
“You want me to compare us to them? That’s a championship team right there. We’re not,” he told reporters. “We can’t sustain energy and effort for 48 minutes, and they can. That’s why they won a championship.”
The defeat marked the Lakers’ 20th loss of the season, dropping them to 32-20 and fifth in the Western Conference.
They remain four games behind the San Antonio Spurs in second place, while the Phoenix Suns sit just 1.5 games back in seventh, keeping the play-in picture firmly in view.
Despite the setback, Los Angeles had shown signs of momentum entering the night, winning eight of their previous 12 games and riding a three-game win streak.
Injuries Continue to Shape Lakers’ Ceiling
Still, the underlying numbers remain concerning. The Lakers rank 22nd in the league in defensive rating at 116.6 and, despite sitting 11th in offensive rating overall, have dipped to 19th (111.3) over their past three games.
That offensive slide coincides with Doncic’s absence. The Slovenian star is averaging a league-leading 32.8 points per game but missed the last two contests and exited early against the Philadelphia 76ers last Thursday due to injury.
Those splits underline how heavily Los Angeles relies on Doncic. Ahead of Saturday’s win over the Golden State Warriors, head coach JJ Redick downplayed the severity of the injury and suggested a return could be imminent.
“I’ve been around him as a teammate and as a coach, and I know … if he’s able to play, he plays, and I think he wants to be in the All-Star Game,” Redick said, via The Orange County Register. “I know he wants to play against Dallas [his former team] the game before the All-Star Game. He has his team working on him day and night.”
“He’s got a mild hamstring strain,” Redick added. “He’ll be out tonight, and then day to day moving forward. When he’s ready to play, we’ll get him out there.”
Doncic, James, and Austin Reaves have shared the floor just 10 times this season, a reflection of how stop-start the Lakers’ campaign has been due to injuries.
As Reaves recently returned from a 19-game absence, Doncic was sidelined again, continuing a frustrating cycle.
While the current injury appears minor, questions around Doncic’s durability have grown in recent months as his workload continues to mount.
The Lakers star has acknowledged playing through lingering soreness that has worsened over time, raising concerns about cumulative strain as the season progresses, particularly given his heavy minute load.
While his return alone won’t solve Los Angeles’ defensive issues, a healthy Doncic remains essential if the Lakers hope to make a legitimate push late in the season.