Austin Reaves explained why the Oklahoma City Thunder have controlled the playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, pointing to OKC's chemistry, depth and coaching. The Lakers now trail 0-3 after another second-half collapse in Game 3.
Austin Reaves believes team chemistry has been the biggest difference between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers in their playoff series.
After the Lakers suffered a crushing 131-108 loss in Game 3, Reaves explained why Oklahoma City has looked one step ahead throughout the matchup.
"Yeah I mean they're a connected group, their pieces fit basically perfect, so it's just tough to beat them," Reaves said in a post-game interview. "They've got a good coaching staff over there that does a good job managing the game."
Ajay Mitchell led the Thunder with 24 points, continuing his strong playoff run against Los Angeles. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 23 points and eight assists, while Jalen Williams finished with 18 points.
The Lakers struggled to match Oklahoma City's ball movement and defensive intensity. Reaves scored 17 points and handed out nine assists, but Los Angeles could not find enough stops defensively.
Rui Hachimura paced the Lakers with 21 points, while LeBron James contributed 19 points and eight assists.
The Thunder are now 7-0 in the playoffs and just one win away from advancing to the Western Conference Finals.
Subscribe to BN+ and get access to exclusive content.
If you like our content, please click here and add us as your preferred source. It helps us a lot, and we are committed to delivering you the very latest basketball news.