Holmgren has 24 points to help Thunder top Lakers 108-90 in Game 1 of Western Conference semifinals

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Chet Holmgren had 24 points and 12 rebounds, and the Oklahoma City Thunder routed the Los Angeles Lakers 108-90 on Tuesday night in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell each added 18 points for the Thunder. The defending champions improved to 5-0 in the playoffs, despite missing 2025 All-Star Jalen Williams with an injured left hamstring for the third straight game. The Thunder shot 49.4% from the field and made 13 of 30 3-pointers.

Oklahoma City will host Game 2 on Thursday.

Los Angeles struggled to find offense without scoring champion Luka Doncic, who has missed the past month with an injured left hamstring. LeBron James scored 27 points and Rui Hachimura added 18 for the Lakers. Austin Reaves, who averaged 23.3 points in the regular season, was held to eight on 3-for-16 shooting.

Oklahoma City won all four regular-season matchups by an average of 29.3 points, and this one was only slightly closer. The Thunder held the Lakers to 41.7% shooting and forced 17 turnovers.

The Lakers ran out to a 7-0 lead, with James scoring five of the points. Eventually, the Thunder shook off the rust from an eight-day break and went up 31-26 at the end of the first quarter, despite 12 points from James.

Holmgren's two-handed alley-oop dunk on a lob from Isaiah Hartenstein put the Thunder up 48-39. Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt injured the pinkie finger on his right hand on the play, left the game and did not return.

Oklahoma City led 61-53 at halftime, despite 16 points from James.

Mitchell, who started in Williams' place, made a corner 3-pointer and was fouled by Marcus Smart in the final minute of the third quarter. His free throw put the Thunder up 84-72, a score that held up until the end of the period.

Alex Caruso's fast-break dunk early in the fourth put Oklahoma City up 88-73, and the Thunder maintained control from there.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket as Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves, left, defends in the second half of Game 1 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Tuesday, May 5, 2026 in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) in the second half of Game 1 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Tuesday, May 5, 2026 in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James shoots between Oklahoma City Thunder's Ajay Mitchell (25) and Alex Caruso (9) in the first half of Game 1 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Tuesday, May 5, 2026 in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren, left, competes for a loose ball against Los Angeles Lakers' Jaxson Hayes, left, and Rui Hachimura, right, in the second half of Game 1 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Tuesday, May 5, 2026 in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) as Ajay Mitchell (25) looks on in the first half of Game 1 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Tuesday, May 5, 2026 in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mateo Chávez and Julián Quiñones scored in a six-minute span early in the second half, and Mexico beat the Czech Republic 3-0 on Wednesday night to win all three of its World Cup group-stage matches for the first time.

The 22-year-old Chávez, in his first World Cup, opened the scoring in the 55th minute and Quiñones scored his second goal of the tournament in the 61st. Alvaro Fidalgo added a goal in second-half stoppage time.

Mexico's previous best group-stage performance was two wins and one draw, done in 1986 and 2002 and both featuring Javier Aguirre, the first as a midfielder and the second as El Tri's coach. Aguirre is back as coach this year, his third stint leading the team.

Already the winner of Group A, Mexico will play again at Estadio Azteca on Tuesday in a round-of-32 match against an opponent to be determined.

Mexico is undefeated at nine World Cup matches at the massive stadium, which was packed with 80,824 fans on Wednesday. El Tri has only two losses at Azteca, most recently in World Cup qualifying against Honduras on Sept. 6, 2013.

The match included nods to Mexico’s past and future. Gilberto Mora, at age 17, became the youngest Mexico player to start in a World Cup. And 40-year-old goalkeeper Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa entered in the 77th minute, joining Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo as the only players to appear in six World Cups.

Mexico's triumph was marred, however, by the return of a homophobic chant by fans that has previously led to fines and other sanctions against its soccer federation. The chant, a one-word slur that literally means male prostitute in Spanish, was heard near the end of the first half when Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovar took a goal kick.

The Czech Republic was eliminated, finishing with one point in three games.

Mexico is unbeaten in 11 games dating to a friendly loss against Panama last November. And Aguirre has made the most of his roster, using 25 of 26 players in the tournament. Chávez was one of five starters Wednesday who did not start last Thursday's 1-0 win over South Korea.

Ochoa, who wears No. 13, played the last 13 minutes, plus stoppage time, in what's likely to be his final appearance for Mexico. He turns 41 on July 13 and has said he plans to retire from international competition after the World Cup.

He was a substitute in the 2006 and 2010 tournaments and started for Mexico in 2014, 2018 and 2022.

Raúl Rangel is the starter this year, stepping in for the injured Luis Ángel Malagón, who helped Mexico win the CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup last year. Malagón's injury opened the door for Ochoa's return.

Ochoa became the oldest Mexican to play in the World Cup. The previous record holder was Cuauhtémoc Blanco, who was 37 when he played in South Africa in 2014.

AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Mexico's Mateo Chavez (20) shoots and scores their opening goal against Czechia goalkeeper Matej Kovar (1) during the World Cup Group A soccer match between Czechia and Mexico in Mexico City, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Mexico's Alvaro Fidalgo celebrates scoring his side's third goal against Czechia during a World Cup Group A soccer match in Mexico City, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Mexico's Mateo Chavez celebrates scoring the opening goal during a World Cup Group A soccer match between Mexico and Czechia in Mexico City, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, top, celebrates with teammates following the World Cup Group A soccer match between Czechia and Mexico in Mexico City, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Mexico's Julian Quinones celebrates scoring his side's second goal against Czechia during a World Cup Group A soccer match in Mexico City, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)