From the time they had forced six turnovers not even halfway through the first quarter, the Oklahoma City Thunder had essentially won their marquee matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. It wasn't even close the rest of the way.
They ultimately forced 18 turnovers on the night, outscoring the Lakers 139-96 and earning their 61st win of the season and further cementing their position as the most dominant team in the NBA. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a pedestrian (by his standards) 28 points on the night, with Isaiah Joe adding 20 on an absolutely hot streak from beyond the arc.
The Thunder have been playing exceedingly well recently, having only lost one game since the end of February. But this was their most convincing win in quite a while, and with it, they sent a petrifying message to the rest of the NBA.
When this team is firing on all cylinders, they're virtually unbeatable.
The Lakers won't be their toughest challenge, but the Thunder's victory says a lot
At this point, success for the Thunder is considered routine. The real story over the past month, at least on a league-wide scale, has been the Lakers. They've averaged the sixth-most points per game since March 1, posting a 15-3 record in that span. They've risen to the third seed in the West, outpacing the stumbling Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Luka Doncic has also been spectacular over that stretch. Heading into Thursday night's matchup, he had scored 30 or more points in 13 straight games.
If anyone in the West right now felt they had a strong chance going up against the Thunder, it was Los Angeles.
But even before Doncic went out with a hamstring injury, the Lakers looked absolutely disarmed on offense and outmatched on defense. It was Oklahoma City's most dominant win of the season, hands down.
At times this season, the Thunder have looked vulnerable. They've dealt with numerous injuries at the top of their rotation. They've felt stuck in the mud offensively for large stretches of the season.
For the most part, it's been their defense that's carried them through these stretches. Against Los Angeles, they showed that, with everyone healthy, they're more than capable of having their own insurmountable scoring nights. Couple that with their swarming and infuriating defensive approach, and they're easily the scariest team to play against in the NBA.
It's the nature of the regular season. Fans will endlessly speculate about what team has a chance to bring down the championship favorites. But the Thunder are quickly showing that there might be no team that is truly capable of toppling them, at least when they're at the top of their game.