The Lakers were swept by the Thunder in a result that felt inevitable from the start of the semifinals. The first three games of the series had already highlighted the vast gap between the two teams, and Game 4 was no different.
In the opening quarter, the Lakers labored to build a five-point lead, only to see the Thunder storm back with a 17-0 run in the second period, nearly killing the game in an instant. For over five minutes, the Lakers failed to score, and a sweep seemed all but certain. 
But the Lakers refused to quit. LeBron James broke the drought, and Jaxson Hayes and Austin Reaves carried the team through the latter half of the second quarter, keeping them from collapsing. In the third, the Lakers delivered their best quarter of the series. Having lost every third quarter in the first three games—including two blowouts—they won this one by eight points.
LeBron drilled two deep threes, Rui Hachimura scored 12 points in the period, Reaves found his rhythm, and Hayes played like a force in the second half. The Lakers came agonizingly close to victory. Even when the Thunder unleashed their perfect offense in the fourth, the Lakers kept responding.
Rui added nine more points in the final quarter, including two threes from the same corner and an and-one. His shooting throughout the series surpassed all expectations. Marcus Smart made numerous mistakes in the closing minutes but still hit a tough and-one floater over the Thunder’s twin towers to take the lead. Reaves buried his trademark clutch three, bringing his magical shooting touch back for the first time in this postseason.
LeBron played the entire fourth quarter, despite tweaking his ankle earlier in the game. He rested just two minutes in the second half. In the final moments, he powered through Dort for a dunk and battled the Thunder’s bigs inside on defense. His movement slowed noticeably—perhaps due to the ankle or sheer exhaustion—but he gave everything.
24 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists—that was LeBron’s stat line in his 23rd season’s final game. When he hit those two threes in the third, it felt like something magical was brewing. But against a team with this much talent and depth, even that level of magic couldn’t decide the outcome.
In this series, Mitchell—not Alexander—looked like the Thunder’s best player. Over four games, their scoring was nearly identical, but Mitchell’s efficiency was terrifying. He went 19-of-28 for 28 points in Game 4. The Thunder’s depth is the stuff of nightmares for opponents, especially considering Jalen Williams didn’t play a single game in this series.
So when the Lakers held a lead with a minute left in Game 4, it was a testament to their all-out effort. Hayes even scored 18 points and grabbed 5 rebounds, lifting the team’s spirit countless times. Despite the loss, this was the Lakers’ best playoff performance, surpassing any win from the first round.
JJ Redick said, “Our team could have chosen to give up, to let go. But we didn’t.” This Lakers squad answered the call in their final game. If this is the end, they can walk off with heads held high.
I know many blame Reaves for the sweep, citing his turnover rate that seemed to happen even without pressure. But remember: Reaves didn’t have to return. After his injury, he underwent treatment around the clock just to be ready for the playoffs. He knew the pressure the Thunder’s defense would put on him, knew his performance could hurt his free agency, yet he still came back. Regardless of the outcome, that fearless mindset deserves respect.
And then there’s No. 23, LeBron James, finishing his 23rd season. In the final minute, driving past Caruso, his floater over Hartenstein missed long, and the Lakers lost their chance to take the lead. At this stage of his career, LeBron increasingly relies on such floaters in clutch moments—a sign of physical decline, especially with his finishing at the rim dropping sharply this season.
This was LeBron’s fourth career sweep and his first before the conference finals. Some use these sweeps to criticize him, but that misses the point. Being swept actually proves how great he is—he carried teams that had no business being that far, that deep.
The first sweep came in the 2007 Finals. At just under 23, LeBron led a Cavaliers team whose second-leading scorer averaged 12.6 points in the playoffs. He averaged 25.1. They faced a prime Spurs team; the 4-0 result was expected. Duncan left him with “The future is yours.”
The second sweep was in the 2018 Finals, the legendary playoff run where even Kyle Korver made the finals poster. In Game 1, LeBron scored 51 points, coming within a whisker of changing the entire series.
The third sweep came in the 2023 West Finals against the Nuggets. A 38-year-old LeBron had survived two grueling series to get there. In Game 4, he played all but 4.3 seconds, putting up 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists—only to lose on a key play again, just like today. That Nuggets team was unstoppable: Jamal Murray averaged 32.5 points, torching every Laker guard, and Anthony Davis was neutralized by Nikola Jokic. LeBron averaged 27.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 10 assists in that series.
And now this year’s sweep by the Thunder. Before the playoffs, who would have thought LeBron could lead this team past the Rockets by himself? Being swept reflects the enormous gap with the Thunder, but it also shows how remarkable it was for these Lakers to survive the first round. A player never gets swept if he never makes the playoffs.
Many wondered before Game 4 if this might be LeBron’s final game. There’s certainly that possibility. His wife and younger daughter attended the game; his older son sat beside him. LeBron played a game with no regrets. After hugging Thunder players, he quickly walked off the court, giving photographers little chance for a lingering shot.
The broadcast’s final image of him was disappearing around the tunnel corner. After the game, he said he still doesn’t know if there will be a 24th season. He’ll decide, but not now.
Over the years, we’ve imagined what LeBron’s decline would look like as he aged. Yet every season, he delivers his best at that moment for his fans. That’s been a tremendous gift.
If this really was LeBron’s last game in the basketball world, I’d say this: the entire journey—including this final destination—has been remarkable.
