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Lakers should let Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander try to beat them

Nypost · · 770 words · By Khobi Price
open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/10/sports/lakers-should-let-shai-gilgeous-alexander-t…

fact_checkFact-Check Results

15 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 5
schedule Pending 5
info Single Source 3
verified Verified By Reference 1
help Insufficient Evidence 1
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“The Lakers made it clear from the beginning of their second-round playoff series against the Thunder what they would be willing to live with.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent cross-references from Nypost confirm the Lakers played the Thunder in a second-round playoff series.
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cross reference SUPPORTS — Ayton has gone from being a wildcard to being of pivotal importance to the Lakers in their second-round playoff series against the Thunder.
https://nypost.com/2026/05/07/sports/how-lakers-deandre-ayto…
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cross reference SUPPORTS — the Lakers open their second-round playoff series against the Thunder in Oklahoma City.
https://nypost.com/2026/05/05/sports/shai-gilgeous-alexander…
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“And even in Game 3, with the Lakers being less aggressive with their defensive coverages against Gilgeous-Alexander on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena, it was still the non-Gilgeous-Alexander Thunder players who stepped up in the Thunder’s 23-point win.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm the Thunder won Game 3 against the Lakers by a score of 131-108 (a 23-point difference) at Crypto.com Arena.
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web search NEUTRAL — After trailing by two points at halftime, the Thunder outclassed the Lakers in the third quarter at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Thunder shot 59 percent from the field and rode a 14-0 advantag…
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7266959/2026/05/09/lakers-t…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Oklahoma City Thunder were once again better than the Los Angeles Lakers with a 131-108 Game 3 win on Saturday. They've built up an ironclad 3-0 series lead in their Round 2 matchup of the 2026 NB…
https://www.aol.com/articles/photos-best-images-thunders-131…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Oklahoma City Thunder moved within one win of the Western Conference Finals after a 131-108 road win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 on Saturday night. Oklahoma City improved to 7-0 in the p…
https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/how-shai-…
info
“Chet Holmgren, the Thunder’s leading scorer for the series, was a difference-maker.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While evidence confirms Chet Holmgren played and scored (e.g., 22 points in Game 2), there is no evidence provided stating he was the 'leading scorer for the series'.
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web search NEUTRAL — Oklahoma City Thunder. Playing career. 2022–present.On April 25, Holmgren led the Thunder to a 124–92 Game 2 win over the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round, recording 26 points and seven rebound…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chet_Holmgren
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web search NEUTRAL — Chet Holmgren scored 22 points, grabbed nine rebounds and recorded four steals as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 125-107 to take a 2-0 lead in their second round series.
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article/holmgren-gilgeous-alexa…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Oklahoma City Thunder have won Game 1 of this second round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers. Oklahoma City led 61-53 at the half despite a sloppy start from 2025 NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous…
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/live-blogs/lakers-vs-thunde…
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“Second-year guard Ajay Mitchell continued his breakout season, recording playoff career highs of 24 points and 10 assists in the Game 3 victory.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (ABC7 Los Angeles and 'Interior Dominance' article) explicitly state Ajay Mitchell recorded 24 points and 10 assists in the Game 3 victory.
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web search NEUTRAL — - Ajay Mitchell had career playoff highs of 24 points and 10 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder extended their unbeaten playoff run to the brink of another Western Conference finals with a 131-108…
https://abc7.com/post/thunder-charge-past-lakers-131-108-gam…
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web search NEUTRAL — That steady playmaking has been on display against three games of meticulous defensive coverages from JJ Redick’s Lakers, who vowed not to let Gilgeous-Alexander beat them on an island. Suddenly, Mitc…
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7267424/2026/05/10/ajay-mit…
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web search NEUTRAL — Ajay Mitchell was once again dominant for the defending champions, with a 24-point, 10-assist double-double. Chet Holmgren had a near-double-double of his own, scoring 18 points with nine rebounds.
https://www.si.com/nba/thunder/onsi/interior-dominance-leads…
info
“Instead of it being Jared McCain like it was in the first two games, Isaiah Joe was the Thunder guard who packed the scoring punch off the bench”
SINGLE SOURCE
Web results mention both Isaiah Joe and Jared McCain played off the bench, but they do not specifically confirm the claim that Joe replaced McCain as the primary scoring punch specifically in Game 3 compared to the first two games.
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web search NEUTRAL — The Oklahoma City Thunder reassert their dominance over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of their second-round series. It followed the theme of the first two games, where the Purple & Gold competed ha…
https://www.basketballnetwork.net/latest-news/kenny-smith-an…
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web search NEUTRAL — While there was only one game in the first round where McCain was truly given an opportunity to make an impact, his few minutes in Game 3 might have given a glimpse into the type of impact he can make…
https://www.si.com/nba/thunder/onsi/first-round-shows-jared-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Both McCain and Joe had stellar games off the bench for the Thunder.For McCain, the game marks his first time facing his former team after the trade deadline. McCain was drafted by the 76ers in 2024 a…
https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-n…
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“The reigning MVP... is arguably the NBA’s best player.”
CORROBORATED
Five independent cross-references from Nypost explicitly identify Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the reigning MVP.
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cross reference SUPPORTS — Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP
https://nypost.com/2026/05/09/sports/lakers-losing-non-sga-m…
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cross reference SUPPORTS — Their ecosystem is built around reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
https://nypost.com/2026/05/04/sports/how-lakers-thunder-seri…
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cross reference SUPPORTS — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning league MVP
https://nypost.com/2026/05/05/sports/the-california-posts-la…
+ 2 more evidence sources
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“Through three games, it’s become clear the rest of the team is more than good enough to beat the Lakers, even with 2025 All-NBA honoree Jalen Williams sidelined.”
CORROBORATED
Web search results confirm Jalen Williams suffered a hamstring strain in the first round and has been sidelined, including for the start of the Lakers series.
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web search NEUTRAL — Jalen Devonn Williams (born April 14, 2001), nicknamed J-Dub, is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jalen_Williams
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web search NEUTRAL — Thunder star Jalen "J-Dub" Williams has not played since suffering a Grade 1 left hamstring strain during the first round against the Phoenix Suns on April 22. Williams played in the first two games o…
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/playoffs/2026/05/0…
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web search NEUTRAL — Jalen Williams' Lakers-Thunder Game 1 status officially revealed.Oklahoma City Thunder Announce Jalen Williams Injury News Before Lakers Series.
https://news.google.com/stories/CAAqNggKIjBDQklTSGpvSmMzUnZj…
verified
“It starts with allowing Marcus Smart, who’s been the Lakers’ best defender this season and best defensive matchup against Gilgeous-Alexander, to guard Gilgeous-Alexander without help.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia, ESPN, and Basketball-Reference all explicitly list Marcus Smart as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
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web search NEUTRAL — Marcus Osmond Smart (born March 6, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Smart
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web search NEUTRAL — View the profile of Los Angeles Lakers Guard Marcus Smart on ESPN. Get the latest news, live stats and game highlights.
https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/2990992/marcus-smart
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web search NEUTRAL — Team: Los Angeles Lakers. Born: March 6, 1994 (Age: 32-059d) in Flower Mound, Texas us. College: Oklahoma State.Marcus Smart is not in the Hall of Fame. When was Marcus Smart drafted?
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smartma01.htm…
+ 1 more evidence source
info
“Toward the end of the third quarter of Game 3, with the Lakers trailing 87-79”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence does not contain the specific score of 87-79 for Game 3; one result mentions a score of 87-78 but it refers to a game between the Mavericks and Thunder.
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web search NEUTRAL — The 2025 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2024–25 season. The Oklahoma City Thunder, led by the reigning MVP and scoring leader Shai Gilgeous-Alexand…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_NBA_playoffs
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web search NEUTRAL — The Mavericks turned the corner in the third as the lid finally lifted off the basket. After shooting five percent from deep in the first half, the team connected on 40 percent of their attempts in th…
https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2021/3/3/22312671/3-things-we-…
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web search NEUTRAL — The "Oklahoma City Thunder always get favorable reffing treatment" narrative didn't go anywhere during Game 3 of the team's NBA playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers.
https://www.aol.com/articles/did-thunder-fouled-1-second-021…
help
“But rookie forward Adou Thiero showed gap help one pass away.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
The claim states Adou Thiero is a rookie forward for the Lakers who played in Game 3. However, the evidence from Google News and other sources states he is 'nearing' his NBA debut and is 'still awaiting' his debut, meaning he could not have played in Game 3.
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web search NEUTRAL — Lakers News: JJ Redick ‘Hopeful’ Adou Thiero Will Be Able To Make NBA Debut On Road Trip. 5 hours ago. By Matt Peralta. Save for later.
https://news.google.com/stories/CAAqNggKIjBDQklTSGpvSmMzUnZj…
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web search NEUTRAL — Subscribe for the latest Lakers' content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8CSt-oVqy8pUAoKSApTxQw.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Bpb4rhm0CE
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web search NEUTRAL — Rookie Adou Thiero Still Awaiting Lakers’ Debut.He's still fairly raw, and will need to develop in a variety of areas such as shooting, decision-making, shot-selection, defensive refinement and more. …
https://www.si.com/nba/draft/nba-rookies/rookie-adou-thiero-…
schedule
“The Lakers trailed by double digits the rest of the game.”
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“Gilgeous-Alexander is shooting 11-of-28 (39%) outside of the paint in the series.”
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“trying to score on OKC’s league-best defense.”
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“This could help the Lakers’ offense, which has averaged 45 points in the second half (the Thunder have averaged 63 second-half points) after averaging 56.7 points in the first half (the Thunder have averaged 58.3 first-half points).”
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“In the first three games of the series, the Thunder averaged 58.3 points in the first half and 63 points in the second half.”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.