Ajay Mitchell said the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Game 2 response was never about one lineup suddenly clicking. It was about a team that believes every group on the floor can hold the standard.
That showed again Thursday night in Oklahoma City’s 125-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, a result that gave the Thunder a 2-0 series lead even though Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was held to 22 points and spent part of the third quarter in foul trouble. Mitchell, starting in place of the injured Jalen Williams, continued his breakout postseason with 20 points, six assists and the kind of poise Oklahoma City has leaned on all series.
“Every time the lights are bright, everyone’s ready to go,” Mitchell said. “The coaching staff does a good job at just getting all of us ready, and we have a lot of competitors.”
The Thunder needed that depth when Gilgeous-Alexander went to the bench with his fourth foul and the Lakers briefly took control. Mitchell said the answer was simple: keep attacking without trying to force the issue.
“It’s hard to fill those gaps, you know,” he said. “But I just try to be as aggressive as I can be, and just try to make the right play.”
Oklahoma City turned that stretch into a statement. While Gilgeous-Alexander sat, the Thunder outscored Los Angeles 32-15 in the third quarter and took a 93-80 lead into the fourth, with Mitchell saying the group stayed locked on the same goal.
“We did a great job in those minutes of just pushing through and trying to get that lead,” he said. “Credit to the team. We did a great job.”
Mitchell also praised the spacing and shooting around him, including Jared McCain, who has given the Thunder a major boost off the bench. “He’s a crazy shooter, crazy scorer,” Mitchell said. “It’s amazing to just have him on the team and just being able to feed him.”
The physicality of the game did not surprise him either. Mitchell said the Thunder welcomed that challenge rather than treating it like a disruption.
“Obviously it’s the playoffs. It’s going to be physical,” he said. “We’re a physical team. They’re a physical team and it’s going to be a battle.”
For Mitchell, the biggest lesson from the series has been balance. He said he is learning where he is as a player while still keeping the focus on the only result that matters.
“It’s just trying to go out there and make winning plays,” he said. “If I have to be more aggressive, I got to do that. But at the end of the day, all that matters is just getting that win.”
He added that his own game is still evolving, even in the middle of a playoff run.
“I just got to keep going, keep working, and watch film,” Mitchell said. “I know I can be much better.”
