The Lakers' offensive struggles are reaching a critical point, and the missing piece is impossible to ignore. In the corner of the visitors' locker room at Paycom Center sat Luka Doncic, scrolling on his phone, while a wall of reporters surrounded LeBron James, searching for answers to the team's postseason scoring woes.
"We have a guy that averages 37 points a game out," James said, referencing Doncic's absence. "There's the issue right there."
Since Doncic suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain on April 2, the Lakers have relied on heroic efforts from James, timely shooting, and stout defense to mask the loss of their superstar offensive catalyst. But Tuesday's 108-90 Game 1 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder exposed just how much they miss him.
On a night when the Lakers held MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to a season-low 18 points and a career-high seven turnovers, they still never got closer than 11 points in the fourth quarter. Gilgeous-Alexander had scored under 20 points only once since May 2025—a testament to the Lakers' defensive effort, but also a glaring reminder that defense alone isn't enough without a reliable scoring engine.
The Lakers battled through a gritty first-round series against the Houston Rockets, but their offense began to sputter midway through. They've now scored fewer than 100 points in four straight games, losing three of them. After shooting a league-best 50.2% during the regular season, they've dropped to 46.5% in the playoffs. Their 99.6 points per game is the lowest among any team still alive in the conference semifinals.
"When you play against great defense, you have to have guys that can attract multiple defenders on the floor at all times," said James, who led the Lakers with 27 points on 12-for-17 shooting. "I feel like we had great shots. We got some great shots tonight, we missed them."
The numbers back him up—the Lakers shot just 10-for-30 from three-point range. In the first round, they shot over 40% from deep in all four wins, but no better than 25.9% in their two losses. The Thunder, meanwhile, allowed the seventh-most three-pointers per game during the regular season, making Tuesday's cold shooting even more frustrating for a team that knows it needs to find its rhythm—and soon.