On the second night of a back-to-back, the Thunder sent a clear message to the NBA by dominating the Lakers 121-92 with elite defense, relentless energy, and near-flawless execution despite missing several key players.
Jaylin Williams no-look dime 😮💨
Cason Wallace thunderous jam 😤Can't tell which part of this sequence is better 🤷
Watch on ESPN: https://t.co/LRbiyhsWy5 pic.twitter.com/kEpBe7qJ4y
— NBA (@NBA) November 13, 2025
OKLAHOMA CITY – Wednesday night it looked like the Thunder were trying to send a message. Not just to the Lakers, but to the entire NBA. On the second night of a back-to-back, Oklahoma City looked like the team that had been resting for days, while Los Angeles looked like the team trying to survive a long road trip and are on the last night just waiting to get back home.
The Thunder energy, focus, and execution from the opening tip was relentless, and by the time the final buzzer sounded, they had steamrolled the Lakers 121-92 to improve their league best record to 12-1.
What made this win so impressive was how fresh the Thunder looked less than 24 hours after routing the Warriors. Every 50/50 ball seemed to end up in Oklahoma City’s hands, and every loose rebound or deflection turned into a momentum play. It was a clinic in effort and connected basketball.
Despite playing on tired legs, the Thunder played like the team with something to prove and they backed it up by outworking, out-hustling, and outthinking one of the Western Conference’s most best teams.
“Yeah, I mean the guys just do a great job of getting themselves there uh every single night and and ready to play,” head coach Mark Daigneault said about the energy coming into the game.
“That’s part of being in the NBA is you got to drum it up 82 times and it’s not always easy. You don’t always feel good. U but these guys view those those things as a challenge and are motivated by that and um they do so collectively. So I think that that brings some energy to it in the locker room.”
Defensively, Oklahoma City completely suffocated the Lakers and it didn’t seem fair. Los Angeles came in averaging over 116 points per game and dominating opponents in the paint, but against the Thunder, they managed only 30 points inside. A testament to the Thunder point-of-attack defense, led by Cason Wallace and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to start. Both took turns harassing Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves all night. Dončić, who entered the game averaging over 37 points, was held to 19 on 7-20 shooting. Reaves, who’d been red-hot in recent outings, finished with just 13 points on 4-12. Both guys have thrived and been relentless getting to the paint so far this season and the Thunder took that away.
When the Lakers did manage to get past the perimeter, they found no comfort in the paint. Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jaylin Williams anchored the interior defense with toughness and timing. Holmgren and Hartenstein combined for 12 rebounds and altered countless shots, while Williams added 6 boards and strong positional defense. The Thunder bigs never allowed Los Angeles to find a rhythm near the rim, forcing them into tough fadeaways and contested floaters all night.
It didn’t stop there. Oklahoma City’s hands were active all night, deflecting passes, jumping lanes, and contesting every look. The Lakers shot just 40.3% from the field, which isn’t any indication on how good the Thunder defense was, and turned it over 20 times, which the Thunder converted into 26 points on the other end. And that defensive intensity directly fueled the offense. Every stop turned into a sprint the other way, and the Thunder consistently attacked early in the shot clock.
Offensively, it was as balanced and efficient as it gets. The Thunder shot 50% from the field, 30.8% from three, and an elite 91.3% from the line (21-for-23). They moved the ball beautifully, finishing with 28 assists to just 14 turnovers, most of which came when the game was out of hand and isn’t a true reflection on how well the Thunder protected the ball.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander once again led the way, putting up 30 points and 9 assists in just 29 minutes. His sixth game of the season scoring 30 or more points in 30 or less minutes. No one else in the league has more than two.
He controlled the game with total command, probing the defense, finding open shooters, and creating easy looks for teammates. It truly didn’t seem like Oklahoma City took a bad shot all night. They established the paint early, then flowed naturally into kick outs and cuts once the defense collapsed.
Isaiah Joe caught fire with 21 points, including 4-10 from three and a buzzer beating triple to end the third quarter. Alex Caruso added 10 points off the bench and provided his usual chaos on defense, while Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein each chipped in 11.
The levels of absurdity the Thunder hit Wednesday night are levels every other team dreams of hitting throughout a season. It seems like it was highlight play after highlight play. From a no look pass from Jaylin Williams leading to a poster for Cason Wallace to a behind the back pass from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Isaiah Joe for a buzzer beating three.
It doesn’t seem like the Thunder are playing the same sport as everyone else.
And it’s hard to believe this Thunder team is doing all this without several key players. Jalen Williams, Nikola Topić, Kenrich Williams, and Thomas Sorber have yet to log a single minute this season. To add, they’ve played stretches without Cason Wallace, Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, and Chet Holmgren yet they keep rolling, playing with an identity built on unselfishness, defense, and energy.
On the second night of a back-to-back, Oklahoma City didn’t just win, they dominated. And if this was meant to send a message to the Lakers and the rest of the NBA, it came through loud and clear: the Thunder aren’t happy with just the one championship they won last season, they want to make sure they will win the next few.
