Before Game 3 tipped off, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault made it clear Oklahoma City respected Deandre Ayton’s potential impact alongside LeBron James and Austin Reaves. By the end of the night, however, Shannon Sharpe believed two of the Lakers’ most important supporting pieces had completely failed to meet the moment during Oklahoma City’s 131-108 blowout victory.

Speaking on Nightcap after the loss, Sharpe delivered brutally direct criticism toward both Ayton and Reaves after the Lakers collapsed in the second half and fell into a nearly impossible 3-0 series deficit.

“He didn’t even try tonight. It is not his fault. Even if he tried they probably lose by 15. But the mere fact that he didn’t try, look at the offensive rebounds. Little guys getting offensive rebounds, and he’s standing there,” Sharpe said about Ayton.

Sharpe then shifted toward Reaves, focusing primarily on the Lakers guard becoming a constant defensive target for Oklahoma City.

“They can’t defend. They attack AR. I’m gonna attack Austin Reaves… but there’s no excuse for AR not to play better,” Sharpe added.

The criticism landed hardest because Los Angeles actually remained competitive for much of the first half before Oklahoma City completely overwhelmed them after halftime.

Ayton finished Game 3 with 10 points and six rebounds, easily his weakest rebounding performance of the series after grabbing 11 and 10 boards in the first two games. Much of the frustration centered around Oklahoma City repeatedly winning hustle plays and generating second-chance opportunities while smaller Thunder players crashed the glass around him.

That said, not all of the criticism fully matched the game itself. Silver Screen and Roll’s player grades noted that Ayton spent much of the night battling Isaiah Hartenstein physically inside, which complicated some of the offensive rebounding criticism circulating online and on television afterward.

Still, the broader concern remains difficult to ignore. Ayton has been consistently outplayed by Oklahoma City’s frontcourt throughout the series, particularly in terms of physicality, rim pressure, and activity around loose rebounds. Sharpe’s claim that Ayton “didn’t even try” was clearly emotional and extreme, but the frustration behind it reflects a real issue for Los Angeles.

Through three games, Ayton’s production has looked respectable on paper at roughly 10 points and 10 rebounds per night. However, the Lakers desperately need him to become a far more impactful interior presence while defenses focus heavily on LeBron James and Austin Reaves.

Sharpe’s criticism of Reaves becomes more complicated once the box score enters the conversation. The Lakers guard finished with 17 points and nine assists while helping keep Los Angeles competitive offensively for long stretches of the game. His playmaking consistently created clean looks even while Oklahoma City’s defense tightened throughout the second half.

Silver Screen and Roll’s postgame evaluation was also noticeably more forgiving toward Reaves, specifically highlighting his passing and offensive organization during stretches where the Lakers offense was otherwise beginning to unravel.

Most of the criticism surrounding Reaves centered far more on defense than offense. Oklahoma City repeatedly hunted him in switches and attacked him on the perimeter whenever opportunities opened up. That problem extends beyond Reaves individually and has become one of the defining tactical issues of the entire series.

“Third straight game we’re right there after two and a half quarters. We tried different lineups, different coverages,” JJ Redick admitted after the loss.

Redick never directly singled out Reaves, but the Thunder’s ability to consistently target certain defensive matchups has become impossible to ignore through three games.

Oklahoma City’s Depth Continues To Overwhelm Los Angeles

Sharpe focused most of his frustration on Ayton and Reaves, but the Lakers’ problems in Game 3 extended far beyond two players. Los Angeles committed 15 turnovers that directly turned into 21 Oklahoma City points, continuing one of the biggest trends of the series. Meanwhile, the Thunder once again overwhelmed the Lakers with depth, pace, and fresh legs as the game progressed.

Ajay Mitchell became the surprise dagger in the fourth quarter by exploding for career playoff highs of 24 points and 10 assists while repeatedly attacking an exhausted Lakers defense. The contrast between the two rosters has become increasingly obvious through three games. Oklahoma City can comfortably rotate nine or ten reliable contributors while Los Angeles continues leaning heavily on a far shorter rotation.

Even Shai Gilgeous-Alexander admitted after the game that he still has not played his best basketball this series.

“These obviously haven’t been my best performances. But I think I’ve been able to help the team win, and that’s most important.”

That quote may capture the biggest difference between the two teams right now. Oklahoma City continues winning comfortably even when its MVP is not fully dominating because the Thunder’s supporting cast consistently fills the gaps. The Lakers have not received that same level of reliable support behind LeBron James.

Daigneault’s pregame praise for Ayton ultimately highlighted the disappointment afterward. Oklahoma City respected Ayton enough to build part of its defensive preparation around him. The Lakers simply never made the Thunder pay for that attention.