Dennis Schroder scores 26 points and the Lakers defeat Thunder 123-117

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Dennis Schroder scored 26 points and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 123-117 on Wednesday night.

Schroder fell with his left ankle in quarter one, but he continued to play. Schroder was able to make 8 of 18 shots, and he also had six assists to assist the Lakers in their recovery from injury. LeBron James and Anthony Davis both were out with right foot injuries and D’Angelo Russell sat out because of a sprained right ankle.

Troy Brown Jr. had a season record 19 points, while Austin Reaves scored 19 for the Lakers. They have won four of the five.

Jalen Williams scored 24 while Josh Giddey had 22 and 11 assists, nine rebounds, and Lu Dort added 19 for the Thunder. Oklahoma City is now 0-5 after the All-Star break.

Shai Gilgeous Alexander, the Thunder’s guard, averages 31 points per contest, was forced to sit out because of safety protocols and an abdominal strain.

The Thunder led by 60 to 57 at halftime, behind 12 points from Giddey & Dort.

The Lakers opened the second period with a 10-2 run that gave them a 67-62 advantage. They led by 90 points in the fourth period, and then they took a 13 point lead in the final.

TIP-INS Lakers: Reaves finished his college career at Oklahoma and made 5 of his 5 field goals. He also made 8 of his 9 free throws. Except for one missed free throw in overtime, he didn’t miss any shots. F Wenyen Gabriel had 10 rebounds within 22 minutes.

Thunder: Oklahoma City’s Thunder made 11 of the 14 3-point attempts in the second quarter. It helped Oklahoma City outscore Los Angeles by 30 to 26. F/C Dario scored 13 points in just 15 minutes. F Jaylin Williams grabbed 12 rebounds.

NEXT

Lakers: Minnesota hosts the Lakers on Friday night

Thunder: Utah hosts on Friday night

___

Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: twitter.com/CliffBruntAP

___

More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports