BBNBA Playoffs: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drops 35 as Thunder sweep the Lakers

by: Adam Stratton05/12/26AdamStrattonKSR

It was only a matter of time before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander started playing like the (soon-to-be) two-time MVP that he is, and it came at a crucial moment. Up three games to none over the Luka-less Lakers, the Oklahoma City Thunder closed out the sweep in Los Angeles on Monday night. SGA posted 35 bigguns in the win, his 26th 30-point postseason game of his Thunder career, tying Russell Westbrook for the 2nd-most in franchise history. Only Kevin Durant (39) has more. The game itself, however, was close down the stretch.

Gilgeous-Alexander and LeBron James were going bucket-for-bucket in the fourth quarter, but down by a point with less than a minute remaining, both James and Austin Reeves missed shots that would have given the Lakers the lead. A few Gilgeous-Alexander free throws later, the game was over, 115-110. James is now 0-11 in would-be game-tying or go-ahead field goals in playoff elimination games or NBA Finals games with less than 24 seconds on the clock. I’m usually a LeBron defender, but dang. That’s rough.

Someone who is definitely not a LeBron defender, Dillon Brooks, pulled off an epic troll move in Game 4, ripe for Hollywood cinema. The Thunder swept Brooks and the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs, but Brooks, lovingly referred to as “The Villain,” has always had bad beef with the Lakers. He bought courtside seats and watched the Lakers get swept from the front row, grinning and laughing the whole time. Tip of the hat to the effort.

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Cason Wallace chipped in a 3-pointer and played his usual solid defense for OKC. Meanwhile, Jarred Vanderbilt returned to action, apparently playing with nine fingers after dislocating his pinky last week. He, as well as Adou Thiero, played just three minutes, however.

With at least two games remaining in the Wolves/Spurs series, the Thunder will get an extended break to heal and rest up before taking their undefeated streak into the Western Conference Finals.

BBNBA Statistics 5/11/2026

Player	Score	PTS	FG (3PT)	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	P/M	MIN
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC)	115-110 W vs. LAL	35	11-22 (1-4)	1	8	1	0	3	-7	33
Cason Wallace (OKC)	115-110 W vs. LAL	3	1-2 (1-1)	2	0	1	0	1	-24	19
Adou Thiero (LAL)	110-115 L vs. OKC	0	0-1 (0-1)	0	0	0	0	0	-5	3
Jarred Vanderbilt (LAL)	110-115 L vs. OKC	0	0-1 (0-0)	1	0	0	0	0	–12	3