Marcus Smart didn’t hold back the emotional weight of the Los Angeles Lakers’ season-ending defeat as he stood alongside Austin Reaves after a 115-110 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena.
The veteran guard highlighted resilience as the defining characteristic of a season that concluded with a second-round sweep. “We got a guy like that and a team like that, they’ve seen a lot,” Smart said, reflecting on Oklahoma City’s performance throughout the series.
He acknowledged the Thunder’s ability to adjust and maintain composure late in the game, while also emphasizing how the Lakers responded under pressure. “They did a very good job adjusting,” Smart said. “But for us, I’m proud of this team. Proud the way we fought.”
Game 4 marked the most competitive stretch of the series for the Lakers, as they grabbed a late lead before Chet Holmgren’s go-ahead dunk with 32.8 seconds remaining swung momentum back to Oklahoma City. Smart pointed to that sequence as a key difference in the tightly contested finish.
“I think we did that tonight,” Smart said about the team’s effort. “The outcome, result wasn’t the way we wanted, but we went down swinging and that’s all you can ask for.”
Los Angeles entered the playoffs as a lower-seeded team after a turbulent stretch that included injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Smart referenced those challenges when describing the group’s mentality. “Plenty times in this season where we could have gave up,” he said. “Everybody count us out and we understood.”
Throughout the series, the Lakers mounted multiple comebacks, including building a late lead in Game 4 through aggressive shot creation from Reaves and Rui Hachimura. However, Oklahoma City’s defensive pressure and late-game execution ultimately sealed the sweep.
Smart also framed the matchup in the context of facing a top-tier opponent led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. “You playing the defending champs, right, with probably a two-time MVP,” he said. “Shai’s probably going to get it again, right? They got a great supporting cast behind them.”
The guard credited Oklahoma City’s structure and consistency throughout the series. The Thunder finished having won eight consecutive games against the Lakers this season, including both regular season and playoffs.
Despite the result, Smart reiterated his pride in how the Lakers responded to adversity. “We just wanted to keep going and fight,” he said. “And I think we did that tonight.”
The loss ends Los Angeles’ season after reaching the second round but falling short of the Western Conference Finals for a third straight year. Oklahoma City advances to the conference finals after completing an 8-0 postseason start.
