Lakers' Rebounding Woes Lead to Loss Against Thunder

Three-game winning streak ends as Lakers struggle to secure defensive rebounds

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-110 on Thursday night, ending their three-game winning streak. The Lakers struggled to secure defensive rebounds, allowing the Thunder to score 24 second-chance points. Despite cleaning up their ball security in the second half, the Lakers couldn't overcome the Thunder's dominance on the offensive glass.

Why it matters

The Lakers' rebounding issues highlight a weakness that could prove costly as they fight for playoff positioning in the Western Conference. Controlling the boards is crucial against a team like the Thunder, who thrive on capitalizing on any margins provided to them.

The details

After turning the ball over 10 times in the first half for 20 Thunder points, the Lakers cleaned things up in the second half, only committing 5 turnovers. However, they struggled to secure defensive rebounds, allowing the Thunder to score 24 second-chance points. A key moment came when Cason Wallace grabbed an offensive rebound for the Thunder with 5:04 left in the fourth quarter, leading to a Jalen Williams layup that put Oklahoma City up 102-99. The Lakers were unable to recover from that point on.

  • The Lakers' three-game winning streak ended with the loss on February 9, 2026.

The players

LeBron James

The Lakers' star player, who led the team with 22 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds.

Marcus Smart

The Thunder player who scored 19 points in the win.

Austin Reaves

The Lakers' bench player who had 16 points and 7 assists.

Cason Wallace

The Thunder player who grabbed a key offensive rebound in the fourth quarter.

Jalen Williams

The Thunder player who scored a layup after Cason Wallace's offensive rebound, putting Oklahoma City up 102-99 with 5:04 left in the game.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

The Lakers will look to bounce back when they host the Spurs on Tuesday, February 11, 2026. The Spurs are currently second in the Western Conference standings and have won 9 of their last 12 games.

The takeaway

The Lakers' rebounding struggles against the Thunder highlight a weakness that could prove costly as they fight for playoff positioning in the Western Conference. Controlling the boards is crucial, especially against teams like the Thunder who thrive on capitalizing on any margins provided to them.