Swanson: Lakers fail Game 1 test against Thunder despite slowing down SGA - BERITAJA

OKLAHOMA CITY — Congratulations, Lakers!

You held Oklahoma City Thunder prima Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to less than 20 points for the first clip since Game 3 of the Western Conference finals past May 24. You forced him into a season-high 7 turnovers. And — get this, this portion is really chaotic — you afforded the man who fundamentally lives astatine the kindness stripe only three free-throw attempts.

You should beryllium truthful proud.

You should besides cognize now for sure: It’s not happening.

You’re not knocking disconnected Oklahoma City.

You held SGA, the reigning convention MVP, to 18 points and you mislaid Game 1 of this Western Conference semifinal bid by 18 points, 108-90.

And now you cognize you’re not mounting a monumental upset and dethroning the defending NBA champions.

You could play a spot amended successful Games 2, 3 and 4, sure. Austin Reaves could sprout amended than 3 for 16. Marcus Smart should sprout amended than 4 for 15. Luke Kennard ought to sprout much than 4 times.

But unless, by immoderate miracle, Luka Doncic’s ailing hamstring is healed by Game 2 connected Thursday, the Thunder are conscionable overmuch excessively overmuch for these Lakers.

Oklahoma City gave them a rusty, tin-man type of SGA for a crippled and continued playing without his injured co-star Jalen Williams. And still, the Thunder were excessively talented, excessively deep, excessively well-coached.

They’re besides excessively aggressive, excessively confident, excessively experienced, excessively together, excessively clever.

Oh, but I’m going connected excessively long, fto the Smart return it from present …

Thunder defender Jared McCain, driving to the handbasket against Lakers guardant Rui Hachimura, had 12 points disconnected the chair successful Game 1, making 4 of 5 three-point shots.

(Kyle Phillips / Associated Press)

“No matter what, they’re relentless successful their pursuit,” he said. “They’re perpetually connected the move, they’re perpetually downhill, putting defenses connected their heels. So erstwhile you sewage guys for illustration that, that’s perpetually putting pressure, not only connected you conscionable offensively, but defensively, it is tough. And they travel successful waves, right? And erstwhile they get basking and get going, they could really get going. So they’re reliable successful that aspect.

“[And they’re] defending champs. They’ve been here, they understand it. They grew up together, and they person a different type of chemistry that about teams about apt don’t have.”

That includes moreover this get-along pack that is this season’s Lakers.

Winning this best-of-seven bid against the Thunder was already an intolerable dream. Game 1 illustrated that it’s much for illustration a foregone conclusion.

If the NBA issued intentional walks, they’d put Oklahoma City connected guidelines and prevention the Thunder fans’ voices for later successful the playoffs.

If it was imaginable to simulate the remainder of the series, video-game style, it would beryllium worthy considering.

Not that location isn’t still worth successful this bid for the Lakers. Not truthful overmuch successful the inevitable result, but for the consequence of the test: Who connected this squad is built for this?

Who connected this roster measures up against the barometer that is Oklahoma City?

Who will champion slot successful alongside Doncic, the heliocentric prima who everyone knows thrives erstwhile paired pinch defenders, shooters and lob threats?

Is Reaves — arsenic delightful a characteristic and subordinate arsenic he’s been successful regular-season action — really a reliable 2nd action beside Doncic erstwhile the physicality ratchets up successful the postseason? Is he durable capable to count connected precocious successful a season?

Does anyone connected the Lakers too 41-year-old LeBron James — who had a game-high 27 points connected 12-for-17 shooting successful Game 1 — person it successful them to propulsion a fewer scoring punches?

Final grades aren’t successful yet, but let’s presume galore of the existent Lakers would want to hide the study paper erstwhile it came — moreover though they tried, they really, really did.

But against Oklahoma City, the Lakers’ lulls became an invitation for the Thunder to strike. A fewer miscues sewage compounded exponentially.

Sometimes you person small room for error. And past there’s playing against the Thunder, erstwhile location is none: “Once you make a mates intelligence mistakes,” Reaves said, “it seems for illustration they return advantage of each 1 of them.”

Thunder halfway Chet Holmgren thumps Lakers guardant Rui Hachimura to a loose shot during Game 1 connected Tuesday night

(Joshua Gateley / Getty Images)

And they don’t person to beryllium perfect.

SGA doesn’t play to par? So what! They sprout only 12 free throws? Forget about it.

Because Chet Holmgren still goes for 24 points and 12 rebounds. Ajay Mitchell adds 18 points. Jared McCain chips successful pinch 12 disconnected the bench. They sprout 13 for 30 from three-point range. They put the clamps connected during the 2nd half, erstwhile they held the Lakers to 37 points.

They took attraction of business, the squad that has each the answers — and for whom the Lakers person none.