In a season already defined by Oklahoma City’s relentless march, Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals produced a new name for the history books. Ajay Mitchell, a Belgian-born guard who barely featured in OKC’s playoff rotation during last year’s championship run, was nothing short of spectacular on Saturday: 24 points, 10 assists, 3 steals and zero turnovers in a 131-108 blowout of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Thunder are now 7-0 in these playoffs — and lead the series 3-0.
A performance that puts Mitchell in elite company
Mitchell’s masterpiece placed him among the rarest of playoff performers. He became only the fourth player since 1990 to record at least 20 points, 10 assists and 3 steals without committing a single turnover in a postseason game — joining Magic Johnson, Chris Paul and Tyrese Haliburton in that exclusive club. The fact that he did it with All-Star Jalen Williams sidelined made the performance all the more striking.
“He was unreal tonight,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters after the game. The 22-year-old superstar, already one of the league’s best, watched as his teammate stole the show in Los Angeles.
Mitchell’s rise has been one of this season’s best stories. After averaging 13,6 points and 3,6 assists during the regular season — finishing fifth in Sixth Man of the Year voting — the second-year guard has found a higher gear when the stakes are at their peak.
The Lakers have no answer for OKC’s depth
Los Angeles had no response to Oklahoma City’s suffocating depth. Even without Williams, the Thunder’s rotation produced a 23-point margin with something close to ease. LeBron James and Austin Reaves could not generate the consistent offense needed to stay in the game, as OKC’s pressure defense turned possession after possession into transition chances at the other end.
One win away from the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder look like a team playing without ceiling. Since the start of these playoffs, they have not trailed in the fourth quarter once. That kind of control, built around Gilgeous-Alexander and a second unit that now includes a genuine star in Mitchell, is what makes this OKC team so difficult to beat — and so compelling to watch.
