The Los Angeles Lakers actually began with the right plan. Without Luka Doncic, LA had a 2-point lead in the game last night. But, now, twice in a row, the Oklahoma City Thunder has come back from a deficit, and this time they registered a blowout 131-108 win. It mainly all went south from the third frame onwards. The Purple and Gold were outscored by 25 points in the second half, their second-worst home playoff performance since moving to LA. And even though LeBron James spilled the beans on what exactly went wrong, it isn’t a problem that has cropped up out of nowhere.

LA’s struggles just after the halftime break have persisted since last season. When the ongoing one began in October, after the season opener, head coach JJ Redick was very vocal, calling his troops a “terrible third-quarter team”. The head coach then stated that they needed to “rethink some things,” but despite a fat trade deadline passing, those problems persist, and it has cost them back-to-back playoff games.

“The third quarter, we start with that,” a dejected Bron said to the media. “We didn’t have the energy, the effort, and they put a 30-plus point quarter on us. Kinda took care of the game right there, honestly. We had moments, obviously, in the first half that was really good for us. We did a good job of sharing the ball and knocking down shots. In that third quarter, we didn’t knock down shots. We didn’t defend or get stops.”

A media member subsequently reminded James that the Lakers were collectively -31 in the third frame. The 41-year-old’s answer remained cryptic, though, with him saying, “I don’t know, the numbers speak for itself.” OKC outscored the home team 33-20 in the third quarter and never looked back since. James had 19 points, eight assists, and six rebounds. Austin Reaves added 17 points, but more importantly, the duo added just 2 points in the third frame!

Reaves went scoreless, and Bron connected just 1 of 4, and the Lakers barely shot 8 of 22 from the field. Meanwhile, the Thunder drilled 13 of 22 shots, and 5 of them were from beyond the arc. On the other hand, OKC’s night at Crypto.com Arena was difficult as well. Current MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed nine of his first 11 shots and had fewer double-teams than in the series’ first two games. SGA and Chet Holmgren combined for just 9 points, but the others stepped up massively in the third quarter.

Guard Ajay Mitchell dropped his playoff career high overall 24 points, and 9 of them came in the third. Similarly, Isaiah Joe, who had 12 points in the game, scored half of them right after the break. They became the catalyst for the comeback, and James knew he had to acknowledge OKC’s depth. “They’re pretty damn good from top to bottom, they don’t let their foot off the gas,” the Lakers veteran said. “It’s not surprising. You’ve seen them over the years. They have a lot of bodies, and they have a lot of guys who can do multiple things on the floor. So, it helps to have that depth.” This was also a subtle jab at his own players…

The current NBA champions’ bench scored 40+ points, with Cason Wallace being the highest contributor with 16. Apart from scoring, the Thunder have a lot of wing defenders and a lot of size and length. Head coach Mark Daigneault had a good defensive system that kept them on a string. OKC outrebounded the Lakers, 43-37, had 12 steals over LA’s six, and forced JJ Redick’s team into 16 turnovers, which they scored 30 points on. The defense stifled even LeBron James and Austin Reaves, and the duo struggled from the field, combining for 12 of 32.

The Lakers’ bench failed to provide any spark, a problem that has persisted throughout the series. For Game 1, the Thunder outscored them 34-15, and in the second game, the gap was even wider, 48-20. Game 3 had a similar narrative, with JJ Redick and Austin Reaves praising OKC. The head coach gave them the credit. “They’re an incredible basketball team,” JJ Redick said. “Third straight game we’re right there after 2 1/2 quarters. We tried different lineups, different coverages. Still lost those minutes. Again, we’ve got to be better, but I’m not giving up on the series. We’re going to go try to win on Monday. We’re going to try to extend the series.” When AR and LeBron James failed to inspire, the Purple and Gold bench scored 31 points, with Luke Kennard leading with 18.

However, that just isn’t enough. The Lakers simply do not have the depth to absorb Oklahoma City’s rotation. When the Thunder tighten their grip, Los Angeles has not found a reliable way to respond. Rui Hachimura scored only 21, and on days when this team doesn’t have a standout third attacking performer, they need 3-4 players to hit the 20-point threshold. Jake LaRavia faced a DNP-CD, and Maxi Kleber, who played instead, didn’t work out at all. Deandre Ayton entered Game 3 after missing 12 of 13 field goals in the last six quarters. But he didn’t have a decent game either, nor did Jaxson Hayes.

Redick subtly hinted at it. “The big thing with them is their depth,” Redick said pregame. “I mean, Mark (Daigneault) talked about it the other night. (Topić) dealt with some health stuff, and their rookie is dealing with some health stuff now coming back from his offseason surgery. Literally, the other 13 guys are all top-seven or -eight rotation players in the NBA on any team. So they can just hit you with bodies as well. Just the nature of how they built that team.”

Reaves is well aware of these facts as well. “They’re a connected group. Their pieces fit basically perfectly,” he said to the media. “It’s tough to beat them. They’ve got a good coaching staff over that, that does a good job. Managing the game that his team needs to be managed. They’ve got really good players.”

As the Thunder make sure their pieces fit perfectly, the Lakers’ biggest piece seems missing. The status of Luka Doncic remains uncertain, as he has missed the Lakers’ 14th consecutive game since straining his hamstring on April 2 in Oklahoma City. Even if the Slovenian remains on the sidelines on Monday, the Lakers have to turn as their backs are against the wall.