Thunder rout Lakers in Game 1 — Reaves goes 0-for-10 on contested shots

It was supposed to be a series. Game 1 looked more like a runaway. Thunder 108, Lakers 90 in OKC. SGA dropped 31, Chet Holmgren went for 24 and 12, the bench outscored LA's 41-22, and the champs shot 53% as a team. Nothing about it felt close.

The story you'll see all week is Austin Reaves. He shot 3-for-16 with four turnovers — and per ESPN Tracking, he went 0-for-10 on contested shots. He's the first player to put up that line in a playoff game since Draymond Green did it for Golden State in 2023. Reaves wasn't blaming his recent injury layoff afterward: 'Nobody cares about that. I got to go out there and play better.' Fair. But the Lakers needed him to be the third star with Luka still sidelined and LeBron quiet — and he was a black hole instead.

Luka still hasn't played a single minute since the hamstring strain 32 days ago. ESPN's Brian Windhorst called him 'not close.' If Reaves can't shoot and Luka can't play, this series gets short. Game 2 is Thursday. The Lakers haven't beaten the Thunder all year.