On Tuesday night, the OKC Thunder beat the Los Angeles Lakers in their opening game of the Western Conference Semifinals.
The outcome was as predicted, but the way Oklahoma City secured the victory may have sent a cold-blooded message to the remaining playoff teams: no superstar, no problem.
It was clear from the get-go that Lakers coach J.J. Redick's lone mission was to try to stop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from scoring the basketball.
Los Angeles could be seen rushing two, sometimes three, defenders at the reigning MVP right when he crossed the half-court line.
It was certainly effective.
SGA finished with just 18 points and seven turnovers while shooting just three free throws. In short, the Lakers neutralized the superstar about as much as any team can.
Yet with L.A. selling out to take Shai out of the offense, OKC still managed to post gaudy numbers. Four different players scored in double figures, and they shot 43.0 percent from beyond the arc in the 18-point victory.
Thunder accomplished more than just a Game 1 win
Teams were already gravitating towards double teams on SGA during the regular season, but J.J. Redick's plan was more radical. If it worked, it could've provided a blueprint for the rest of the playoff field, many of whom have been desperate to find a way to stop the Thunder offense.
But it was the OKC role players who stepped up and sent a crucial message to the rest of the league: the Thunder are an unstoppable force, with or without their top player producing at his best.
Shai's dip in production was mainly supplemented by the likes of Chet Holmgren and Ajay Mitchell.
Holmgren looked aggressive from the jump, taking three of the team's first four shots in the game. He ended up leading the team in both points and shot attempts.
Mitchell was not far behind. He, like Gilgeous-Alexander, recorded 18 points, and did so on 7-for-16 shooting from the floor.
While the two starters picked up the slack, the bench was arguably the biggest difference-maker on the night.
Jaylin Williams, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Joe, and Cason Wallace were all plus-11 or higher, and Jared McCain couldn't miss, going 4-for-5 from deep.
The game looked like the Lakers' best possible attempt at punching above their weight class, and, while the Thunder looked sloppy and lethargic at times, they still coasted to a double-digit victory, even without a typical performance from their superstar.
The game leaves the rest of the league in a precarious situation. They are now forced to choose between letting SGA or everyone else on the roster beat them.
The Thunder truly showed no weak spots on their roster, making it all the more difficult for opposing teams to justify hyperfocusing on OKC's head of the snake.
While most expect the Thunder to sleepwalk through the rest of this series, thwarting opposing game plans like the one on Tuesday still remains a vital piece of the puzzle.
The more question marks coach Mark Daigneult's offense can pose for defenses, the better.
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