The Oklahoma City Thunder cruised to a 121-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night, sending a reminder with the win.
The Lakers have played fairly well to begin the 2025-26 NBA season, but Oklahoma City is clearly the better team.
On Wednesday, OKC embarrassed LA -- and it's clear that the Thunder would likely dominate the Lakers in a postseason series.
With both teams competing in the Western Conference, the Lakers will have to make a number of adjustments if they hope to seriously challenge the Thunder in the future.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 30 points in under 30 minutes played. He shot 10-for-18 from the field and added nine assists and five rebounds in an all-around terrific effort.
Isaiah Joe added 21 points of his own, while the Thunder had seven players score double-digit points in the win.
Oklahoma City's defense told the full story, however.
Thunder defense leaves Lakers searching for answers
The Thunder simply play elite defense. It's what they do!
On Wednesday, they held the Lakers to 40.3 percent shooting from the field and 31.4 percent shooting from deep. Additionally, OKC forced 20 LA turnovers, allowed only 19 assists, recorded 14 steals, and had four blocks.
It was a defensive masterclass from a squad that looks like the best team in the NBA.
Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 19 points, but he shot just 7-for-20 from the field and 1-for-7 from deep. He did not have much help as Los Angeles came up short on the road in Oklahoma City.
One may argue that the result would have been different if the Lakers had LeBron James, who is still sidelined due to a lingering sciatica nerve issue. Perhaps he would have made a significant difference if he had been out there on the floor.
That argument is difficult to make, though, since the Thunder were also without Jalen Williams due to injury. If Williams was available, OKC may have won by an even larger margin.
The Western Conference is loaded with talent. Oklahoma City will have a difficult time trying to repeat as NBA Champions. Right now, however, it does not appear that any team in the West is especially close to them.
The 8-2 Denver Nuggets are second in the West, and the Thunder are a better team right now. Meanwhile, the Lakers are now in fifth place in the standings at 8-4 overall.
Los Angeles could upgrade the roster at the trade deadline. As currently constructed, the Lakers don't stand a chance against the Thunder if both teams are healthy come playoff time.