All Lakers coach JJ Redick asked of his group was to “win the day.”
That day had to be Monday night, the only day that mattered for a Lakers team on the brink of elimination.
The Lakers came close, but they did not win the day, losing Game 4 115-110 to the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers’ season is over, having been swept 4-0 in the Western Conference semifinal series.
Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 27 points, Rui Hachimura had 25 points and LeBron James had 24 points and 12 rebounds.
When the game was over, James hugged several of the Thunder players.
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ties up Lakers guard Marcus Smart during a scramble for a loose ball during the first half of Game 4 on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
James is in the final year of a contract that paid him $52 million this season, and at 41 and in his 23rd season, the conversations now turn to his future.
Will James retire? Will James return to the Lakers? Will James play for another team?
Those are the big questions going forward.
With 40.9 seconds left in the game, Marcus Smart scored, was fouled and made the free throw for a 110-109 Lakers lead.
But Chet Holmgren scored on a dunk for a 111-110 Thunder lead with 32.8 seconds left.
The Lakers called a timeout to set up a play.
James missed a floater just outside the lane and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 35 points and eight assists, was fouled with 12.2 seconds left. He made both free throws for a 113-100 Thunder lead.
The Lakers called another timeout to set up another play with their season on the line.
Reaves missed a potential game-tying three-pointer and Alex Caruso got the rebound, leading to a timeout for the Thunder with 7.6 seconds remaining.
Ajay Mitchell was fouled after the inbounds pass and made two free throws for a 115-110 lead that stood.
Earlier in the fourth quarter, Jared McCain drilled a three-pointer to tie the score at 92-92.
Then James threw a pass away that bounced off two Thunder defenders and Reaves, with the officials ruling it was still the Lakers’ possession. The call was challenged by the Thunder. The official review determined that the ball went off Reaves, giving the Thunder the ball with six minutes and 35 seconds left.
Mitchell scored, was fouled by Smart and made the free throw for a three-point play and a 95-92 Thunder lead.
For the first time in this series, the Lakers won the third quarter, outscoring the Thunder 39-31 to open an 84-80 lead heading into the fourth.
Jaxson Hayes punctuated the third with a two-handed dunk, bringing the crowd out of their seats.
The Lakers sizzled in the third quarter, shooting 76.5% from the field and 71.4% from three-point range.
Hachimura was on fire in the third quarter, scoring 12 points on four-for-six shooting.
Reaves had a strong first quarter, scoring eight points on three-for-three shooting, two for two on three-pointers.
With James adding six points and six rebounds, the Lakers opened a 26-21 lead after the first quarter.
But the Thunder hit the Lakers with a 17-0 run to open a 12-point lead in the second quarter.
