Deadspin | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder manhandle short-handed Lakers 
April 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) moves the ball against Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt (2) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points in 28 minutes as the Oklahoma City Thunder demolished the Lakers for the second time in five days, prevailing 123-87 on Tuesday in Los Angeles.
The Thunder (63-16), by earning their sixth consecutive win and their 18th in 19 games, moved within one win or one San Antonio Spurs loss of clinching the top spot in the Western Conference for the third consecutive season.
Despite the Lakers (50-29) being without Luke Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James, they hung with the defending NBA champions into the second quarter.
It was a sharp departure from the Lakers’ 43-point loss in Oklahoma City on Thursday — with that trio of stars available — when the Thunder led by 23 after one quarter and kept pouring it on.
Los Angeles battled back from an early seven-point deficit on Tuesday to tie the game early in the second.
However, Oklahoma City went on a 23-5 run over the final 7:16 of the half to take control for good.
The Lakers shot 33.3% from the floor in the second quarter.
Gilgeous-Alexander got going early, shooting 4-for-5, scoring 11 points and dishing out five assists in the opening quarter.
By early in the third quarter, the outcome had all but been decided and one of the few remaining questions was whether or not Gilgeous-Alexander would extend his NBA record for most consecutive games with 20 or more points.
He pulled within one with a 3-pointer nearly seven minutes into the third quarter that put Oklahoma City up by 27 points.
About two minutes later, Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a flurry, scoring baskets on back-to-back-to-back Thunder possessions to end his night.
Gilgeous-Alexander left the game for good with more than a minute remaining in the third, the 25th time this season he sat out during the entirety of the fourth quarter.
He finished 10 of 15 with eight assists and two steals.
Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren had 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Isaiah Joe and Jared McCain added 18 and 15 points off the bench, respectively.
Joe was 6 of 9 from beyond the arc and has gone 14 of 21 from deep over the past three games.
The Lakers fell a game behind the Denver Nuggets for the No. 3 spot in the West with their third consecutive loss.
Rui Hachimura led Los Angeles with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting. No other Los Angeles player scored more than 11.
–Field Level Media
#Deadspin #Shai #GilgeousAlexander #Thunder #manhandle #shorthanded #Lakers
April 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) moves the ball against Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt (2) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points in 28 minutes as the Oklahoma City Thunder demolished the Lakers for the second time in five days, prevailing 123-87 on Tuesday in Los Angeles.
The Thunder (63-16), by earning their sixth consecutive win and their 18th in 19 games, moved within one win or one San Antonio Spurs loss of clinching the top spot in the Western Conference for the third consecutive season.
Despite the Lakers (50-29) being without Luke Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James, they hung with the defending NBA champions into the second quarter.
It was a sharp departure from the Lakers’ 43-point loss in Oklahoma City on Thursday — with that trio of stars available — when the Thunder led by 23 after one quarter and kept pouring it on.
Los Angeles battled back from an early seven-point deficit on Tuesday to tie the game early in the second.
However, Oklahoma City went on a 23-5 run over the final 7:16 of the half to take control for good.
The Lakers shot 33.3% from the floor in the second quarter.
Gilgeous-Alexander got going early, shooting 4-for-5, scoring 11 points and dishing out five assists in the opening quarter.
By early in the third quarter, the outcome had all but been decided and one of the few remaining questions was whether or not Gilgeous-Alexander would extend his NBA record for most consecutive games with 20 or more points.
He pulled within one with a 3-pointer nearly seven minutes into the third quarter that put Oklahoma City up by 27 points.
About two minutes later, Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a flurry, scoring baskets on back-to-back-to-back Thunder possessions to end his night.
Gilgeous-Alexander left the game for good with more than a minute remaining in the third, the 25th time this season he sat out during the entirety of the fourth quarter.
He finished 10 of 15 with eight assists and two steals.
Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren had 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Isaiah Joe and Jared McCain added 18 and 15 points off the bench, respectively.
Joe was 6 of 9 from beyond the arc and has gone 14 of 21 from deep over the past three games.
The Lakers fell a game behind the Denver Nuggets for the No. 3 spot in the West with their third consecutive loss.
Rui Hachimura led Los Angeles with 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting. No other Los Angeles player scored more than 11.
–Field Level Media
![Deadspin | Japan’s Kei Nishikori retiring from tennis after 2026 season Aug 8, 2025; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Kei Nishikori (JPN) serves against Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG) during the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Kei Nishikori, once ranked as high as No. 4 in the world, will retire from tennis at the end of the 2026 season. The 36-year-old Japanese trailblazer made the announcement Thursday via social media. “Since I was a child, I have been passionate about tennis and I have continued to pursue it with only one dream in my heart: ‘I want to compete on the world stage.’ Reaching the ATP Tour, playing at the highest level of competition, and maintaining a presence in the Top 10 is something I am extremely proud of,” he posted to X. “Whether in victory or defeat, the special atmosphere I felt in packed arenas is irreplaceable.” Nishikori was the first Japanese man to be ranked in the top 10 in the world. He has won 12 titles, 451 tour matches and just over $26 million on the ATP Tour. It was March 2, 2015, when Nishikori was ranked No. 4 amid tennis’ brightest stars. That week, Novak Djokovic was No. 1, followed by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. After Nishikori, at No. 5, was Andy Murray. Those four opponents combined to win 69 Grand Slam titles. Nishikori never won one, with his best result coming in 2014 when he defeated Djokovic to reach the U.S. Open final, which he lost to Marin Cilic of Croatia. Nishikori has competed this season in ATP Challenger events. His most recent ATP Tour event came in 2025 at Cincinnati. “My love for tennis and my belief that I could become a stronger player always brought me back to the court. I feel that all of these experiences have enriched and shaped my life. I am deeply grateful [for] my family and to everyone who has supported me at all times,” Nishikori wrote. “To be honest, I still wish I could continue my playing career. Even so, looking back on everything up to this point, I can proudly say that I gave it my all. “I am truly happy to have walked this path. I will cherish every moment of the remaining matches and fight to the very end.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Japans #Kei #Nishikori #retiring #tennis #season](https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/26805807.jpg "Deadspin | Japan’s Kei Nishikori retiring from tennis after 2026 season Aug 8, 2025; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Kei Nishikori (JPN) serves against Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG) during the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Kei Nishikori, once ranked as high as No. 4 in the world, will retire from tennis at the end of the 2026 season. The 36-year-old Japanese trailblazer made the announcement Thursday via social media. “Since I was a child, I have been passionate about tennis and I have continued to pursue it with only one dream in my heart: ‘I want to compete on the world stage.’ Reaching the ATP Tour, playing at the highest level of competition, and maintaining a presence in the Top 10 is something I am extremely proud of,” he posted to X. “Whether in victory or defeat, the special atmosphere I felt in packed arenas is irreplaceable.” Nishikori was the first Japanese man to be ranked in the top 10 in the world. He has won 12 titles, 451 tour matches and just over $26 million on the ATP Tour. It was March 2, 2015, when Nishikori was ranked No. 4 amid tennis’ brightest stars. That week, Novak Djokovic was No. 1, followed by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. After Nishikori, at No. 5, was Andy Murray. Those four opponents combined to win 69 Grand Slam titles. Nishikori never won one, with his best result coming in 2014 when he defeated Djokovic to reach the U.S. Open final, which he lost to Marin Cilic of Croatia. Nishikori has competed this season in ATP Challenger events. His most recent ATP Tour event came in 2025 at Cincinnati. “My love for tennis and my belief that I could become a stronger player always brought me back to the court. I feel that all of these experiences have enriched and shaped my life. I am deeply grateful [for] my family and to everyone who has supported me at all times,” Nishikori wrote. “To be honest, I still wish I could continue my playing career. Even so, looking back on everything up to this point, I can proudly say that I gave it my all. “I am truly happy to have walked this path. I will cherish every moment of the remaining matches and fight to the very end.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Japans #Kei #Nishikori #retiring #tennis #season")
![Deadspin | Japan’s Kei Nishikori retiring from tennis after 2026 season Aug 8, 2025; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Kei Nishikori (JPN) serves against Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG) during the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Kei Nishikori, once ranked as high as No. 4 in the world, will retire from tennis at the end of the 2026 season. The 36-year-old Japanese trailblazer made the announcement Thursday via social media. “Since I was a child, I have been passionate about tennis and I have continued to pursue it with only one dream in my heart: ‘I want to compete on the world stage.’ Reaching the ATP Tour, playing at the highest level of competition, and maintaining a presence in the Top 10 is something I am extremely proud of,” he posted to X. “Whether in victory or defeat, the special atmosphere I felt in packed arenas is irreplaceable.” Nishikori was the first Japanese man to be ranked in the top 10 in the world. He has won 12 titles, 451 tour matches and just over $26 million on the ATP Tour. It was March 2, 2015, when Nishikori was ranked No. 4 amid tennis’ brightest stars. That week, Novak Djokovic was No. 1, followed by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. After Nishikori, at No. 5, was Andy Murray. Those four opponents combined to win 69 Grand Slam titles. Nishikori never won one, with his best result coming in 2014 when he defeated Djokovic to reach the U.S. Open final, which he lost to Marin Cilic of Croatia. Nishikori has competed this season in ATP Challenger events. His most recent ATP Tour event came in 2025 at Cincinnati. “My love for tennis and my belief that I could become a stronger player always brought me back to the court. I feel that all of these experiences have enriched and shaped my life. I am deeply grateful [for] my family and to everyone who has supported me at all times,” Nishikori wrote. “To be honest, I still wish I could continue my playing career. Even so, looking back on everything up to this point, I can proudly say that I gave it my all. “I am truly happy to have walked this path. I will cherish every moment of the remaining matches and fight to the very end.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Japans #Kei #Nishikori #retiring #tennis #season](https://i1.wp.com/images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/26805807.jpg?ssl=1 "Deadspin | Japan’s Kei Nishikori retiring from tennis after 2026 season Aug 8, 2025; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Kei Nishikori (JPN) serves against Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG) during the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Kei Nishikori, once ranked as high as No. 4 in the world, will retire from tennis at the end of the 2026 season. The 36-year-old Japanese trailblazer made the announcement Thursday via social media. “Since I was a child, I have been passionate about tennis and I have continued to pursue it with only one dream in my heart: ‘I want to compete on the world stage.’ Reaching the ATP Tour, playing at the highest level of competition, and maintaining a presence in the Top 10 is something I am extremely proud of,” he posted to X. “Whether in victory or defeat, the special atmosphere I felt in packed arenas is irreplaceable.” Nishikori was the first Japanese man to be ranked in the top 10 in the world. He has won 12 titles, 451 tour matches and just over $26 million on the ATP Tour. It was March 2, 2015, when Nishikori was ranked No. 4 amid tennis’ brightest stars. That week, Novak Djokovic was No. 1, followed by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. After Nishikori, at No. 5, was Andy Murray. Those four opponents combined to win 69 Grand Slam titles. Nishikori never won one, with his best result coming in 2014 when he defeated Djokovic to reach the U.S. Open final, which he lost to Marin Cilic of Croatia. Nishikori has competed this season in ATP Challenger events. His most recent ATP Tour event came in 2025 at Cincinnati. “My love for tennis and my belief that I could become a stronger player always brought me back to the court. I feel that all of these experiences have enriched and shaped my life. I am deeply grateful [for] my family and to everyone who has supported me at all times,” Nishikori wrote. “To be honest, I still wish I could continue my playing career. Even so, looking back on everything up to this point, I can proudly say that I gave it my all. “I am truly happy to have walked this path. I will cherish every moment of the remaining matches and fight to the very end.” –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Japans #Kei #Nishikori #retiring #tennis #season")
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