Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes feelings crystal clear after OKC's crushing loss against Lakers

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder were routed 126-99 by the LA Lakers during Sunday's home clash, commencing a rare losing streak. Afterward, the three-time All-Star didn't mince words about his team's letdown performance.

Despite boasting the NBA's top record (64-14), OKC was thoroughly outplayed on both ends. Its league-best defense (106.5 defensive rating) couldn't contain LA's outside shooting blitz, allowing 22 3-pointers while its offense mustered only 12.

A franchise-record-tying 15 of the Lakers' triples came in the first half. That includes five 3s from superstar guard Luka Doncic, who tallied 22 of his game-high 30 points by halftime.

The Purple and Gold's offensive onslaught allowed it to amass a 29-point second-quarter lead en route to a 78-56 halftime advantage. That marked the most points the Thunder have surrendered in a half all season.

LA superstar forward LeBron James and shooting guard Austin Reaves chipped in 39 combined points. Meanwhile, veteran role players Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent totaled 26 points off the bench in a well-rounded team effort.

On the flip side, Gilgeous-Alexander recorded a team-best 26 points and nine assists, shooting 52.2%, but couldn't get OKC back into the game. Following the contest, he raised concerns about his squad's underwhelming two-way effort.

"We didn't do anything to deserve a win tonight," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "They're a really good basketball team, so when you don't do the right things and you're playing a really good team, that's what it looks like."

The Thunder have already comfortably locked up the Western Conference's No. 1 seed with four outings remaining. They also hold a two-game advantage over the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers (62-16), putting them in a prime position to secure the league's top record.

Nevertheless, after falling 125-111 to the Houston Rockets during Friday's road matchup, they've lost consecutive games for just the second time this season. The first occurrence came in November, a testament to their season-long dominance.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander held to 0 free-throw attempts for first time in over 3 years

While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 26 points on above-average shooting efficiency against the Lakers, he didn't get to the free-throw line even once.

Per StatMamba, that marked the MVP frontrunner's first contest without attempting a free throw since Dec. 18, 2021 (1,205 days).

That may be cause for concern for some OKC fans. However, the team was likely just outplayed by a hungrier LA squad fighting for playoff seeding. The Lakers sit third in the West (48-30) with four contests remaining, looking to fend off the fourth-seeded Denver Nuggets (47-32).

The teams will rematch on Tuesday in OKC in what could mark a revenge outing for the Thunder.

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