The Lakers won’t be going back-to-back in the NBA Cup. In a must-win game against the Thunder to keep their hopes alive of advancing out of the bracket, the Lakers were undone by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and mistakes down the stretch as they fell to OKC, 101-93 .

D’Angelo Russell had one of his best games of the season with 17 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals. Dalton Knecht led the team in scoring with 20 points and four assists.

Anthony Davis finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and four blocks. LeBron James scored twelve points with eight rebounds and six assists.

Rui Hachimura threw in eight points and five rebounds. Austin Reaves scored 11 points with five rebounds and three assists.

Thanksgivingitis gripped the Lakers, who came out flat and unable to defend a red-hot Thunder team. The Lakers trailed by 10, requiring a timeout to regroup. Four straight points from AD and a three-pointer from Dalton made it a five-point game.

Every Laker who entered the game in the opening quarter scored. OKC withstood LA’s sudden attack and was in eighth place at the end of the first inning.

Three different Lakers scored to open the second quarter and make it a one-point game. Los Angeles’ offense went much better. The Thunder started missing shots they made in the first period.

OKC started to heat up and went up by four with seven minutes left until halftime. The Thunder began to suffocate the Lakers with their defense, causing LA to have problems offensively. The hosts were in a four-minute scoring drought before Austin made a layup to make it a two-point game.

It was a tie game after Gabe Vincent knocked down a mid-range shot. Both teams increased their energy and defense. Austin took a nasty fall while being fouled and eventually headed to the locker room with two minutes left.

Consecutive layups by LeBron and AD, with AD fouled and completing the and one, put the Lakers up by two. LA had a defensive breakdown, leading to a Kenrich Williams three-pointer to put the Thunder ahead by three at halftime.

The Thunder opened the second half and extended their lead to nine as the Lakers struggled to defend them. A center shot from Rui and two three-pointers from D’Lo and Dalton made it a one-point game. A huge block by AD led to a two-handed dunk with authority in transition for Dalton.

AD was then fouled and converted both free throws, putting the team up by two. After spending part of the quarter in the locker room, Austin returned to the game.

The match was level at halftime. The Lakers were in a scoring drought with the game still tied until Dalton gave the purple and gold the lead with a three-pointer.

The defense played a major role in making it such an exciting affair. At the end of the third, Aaron Wiggins put OKC up two.

A three from D’Lo made it a one-point game to start the final frame. D’Lo then set up the Lakers as he started to warm up. It was a hard-fought battle and the Thunder knocked down two threes, creating a five-point lead for them.

With 5:43 to go, Max Christie converted on both free throws to cut the deficit to three. The Thunder continued to expand their lead once LA would catch fire. Dalton knocked down two threes, but it was a five-point game.

Austin was fouled and made two free throws to make it a three-point game. Then he made it a one-point game with a free throw. SGA gave the Thunder a four-point lead with a three-pointer. Max responded with a 28-second center shot.

Shai converted on two free throws to extend the lead to four with 22 seconds left. The turnover cut the Lakers deficit, leading to two more points for the Thunder and sealing the victory.

Key Takeaways:

STOP TURNING THE BALL OVER!!!

The Lakers have a never-ending problem forcing three-pointers. They force them when they don’t need them. Find better shots. If you’re not known as a team that shoots the lights from behind the arc, find a better shot. Unless of course you’re Dalton, go ahead and take those threes!

The balanced offensive score was a nice sudden development for this team. It means they are discovering their offensive powers. If you’re struggling defensively, it helps to counter it with a better offense.

Although his three-pointers have taken a huge slump, Gabe looks more confident when hitting mid-range shots or layups. It could benefit him more if he continues to make shots to build his offensive confidence.

The Lakers’ next game is Sunday against the Utah Jazz at 5:00 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.