Thunder charge past Lakers 131-108 in Game 3 for another blowout in the champs' 7-0 playoff run

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ajay Mitchell had career playoff highs of 24 points and 10 assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder extended their unbeaten playoff run to the brink of another Western Conference finals with a 131-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the second round on Saturday night.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 23 points and nine assists for the Thunder, who coolly improved to 7-0 — both in these playoffs overall, and in their seven games this season against LeBron James and the Lakers. Oklahoma City is the NBA's sixth defending champion to start 7-0 in the following postseason after three wins over short-handed Los Angeles by a combined 59 points.

Game 3 was remarkably similar to Game 2 in many respects: The Lakers again had to fight desperately just to keep up with the champs into the third quarter, only for the Thunder to run away with their usual merciless efficiency when LA finally faltered. Chet Holmgren had 18 points and nine rebounds for Oklahoma City, which outscored the Lakers 33-20 in the third quarter and wasn't threatened at all down the stretch.

“I think (the first half) wasn't our best half, and in the locker room we just talked about it and knew that we had to adjust and be better,” said Mitchell, who continued his postseason emergence by scoring at least 14 points for the sixth consecutive game. “I think we did a great job coming out of the half.”

Game 4 is Monday night in Los Angeles.

James had 19 points, eight assists and six rebounds, while Austin Reaves had 17 points and nine assists. But both stars struggled from the field to a combined 12 for 32, and 21 points from Rui Hachimura weren't enough to keep LA in contention with the champs.

“We had moments in the first half that were really good for us,” James said. “In the third quarter, we didn't knock down shots, we didn't defend or get stops and allowed them to take us out of the game.”

Gilgeous-Alexander had his highest-scoring game of the series despite missing nine of his first 11 shots amid another concerted defensive effort by the Lakers on the NBA MVP, albeit with fewer double-teams than in the series' first two games.

“These obviously haven't been my best performances,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “But I think I've been able to help the team win, and that's most important. If the rest of the playoff run or the rest of my career looked like what it looked like the past few games, I'd be OK with it, because we won games.”

Luke Kennard added 18 points for the Lakers, who have lost five of their last six games since midway through the first round against Houston.

“They're an incredible basketball team,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “Third straight game we're right there after 2 1/2 quarters. We tried different lineups, different coverages. Still lost those minutes. Again, we've got to be better, but I'm not giving up on the series. We're going to go try to win on Monday. We're going to try to extend the series.”

NBA scoring champion Luka Doncic missed his 14th consecutive game for the Lakers since straining his hamstring April 2 in Oklahoma City. He is not thought to be close to returning from an injury that often requires two months of recovery.

Except for Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder all began Game 3 in another shooting groove. Los Angeles still surged to a small halftime lead behind 16 points from Hachimura.

Oklahoma City erased that lead with a methodical surge out of halftime, going up by 13 in the third quarter.

Third-leading scorer Jalen Williams missed his fifth straight game for the Thunder with a strained hamstring.

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

Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, right, shoots as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace defends during the first half of Game 3 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, right, passes the ball as Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton defends during the first half of Game 3 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren, center, dunks as Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton, left, and guard Marcus Smart defend during the first half of Game 3 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jared McCain, right, gestures after scoring as Los Angeles Lakers forward Adou Thiero runs behind during the first half of Game 3 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, takes a pass as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander defends during the first half of Game 3 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 7, 2026--

DemeRx, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to transforming addiction therapeutics, today announced the appointment of Michael Snitkovsky as chief operations officer, adding a seasoned biopharmaceutical executive with more than 20 years of experience advancing therapies from preclinical research through clinical development. Mr. Snitkovsky is recognized for his strategic leadership, operational rigor, and ability to unite cross‑functional and global teams around shared scientific and business objectives—capabilities that support effective risk management, development acceleration, and long‑term value creation.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260707949387/en/

“Michael brings extensive operational experience across the biopharmaceutical development spectrum and a proven track record of advancing complex programs,” said Deborah Mash, Ph.D., chief executive officer and founder of DemeRx. “His expertise in development strategy, CMC, regulatory affairs, and quality will strengthen our ability to execute as we advance our pipeline at an extraordinary regulatory moment and a pivotal time for our company. As DemeRx enters its next phase of growth, Michael’s leadership will help accelerate development activities and enhance operational readiness for upcoming clinical milestones for our lead program, DMX-1001 for the treatment of alcohol use disorder.”

“I am excited to join DemeRx at this important stage in the company’s growth,” said Mr. Snitkovsky. “I look forward to working with the team to advance our programs through clinical development. DemeRx has built a strong foundation, and I am eager to help strengthen the capabilities, partnerships, and execution needed to deliver meaningful value for patients and stakeholders.”

Mr. Snitkovsky’s experience spans operational and program leadership, Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) strategy, regulatory execution, and global alliance management across neurological and psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder, as well as oncology, immunology, gastrointestinal, and rare diseases. His appointment supports DemeRx’s continued focus on advancing its clinical programs while building the operational infrastructure required for future development. He has led multinational collaborations, including strategic partnerships, and has overseen numerous Investigational New Drug, Clinical Trial Application, Biologics License Application, and New Drug Application submissions across major regulatory jurisdictions.

At Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, he was hired to establish a Project Management Office and lead the team responsible for commercializing the first RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutic. The approval of this drug marked a landmark achievement in biotechnology, transforming the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of RNAi into a viable, disease‑modifying class of medicines and the first commercial product for Alnylam. At Finch Therapeutics, the pioneer of the first gut‑microbiome-based therapeutics, Mr. Snitkovsky led two programs within a $70M partnership with Takeda. At Red Oak Medicines and Valerio Therapeutics, where he served as global head of operations and program and alliance leadership, he built and led cross‑functional teams across major biopharmaceutical organizations. His experience also includes consulting roles at Biogen and Sanofi, driving execution across CMC, regulatory, clinical development, and global alliances.

About DemeRx, Inc.

DemeRx, Inc. is a pioneering clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to transforming addiction therapeutics and improving outcomes for individuals facing substance use disorders. Leveraging advanced scientific research and strategic clinical initiatives, DemeRx focuses on DMX-1001 (oral noribogaine) as a groundbreaking solution for alcohol use disorder. For more information about DemeRx, please visit http://www.demerx.com.

Michael Snitkovsky, COO of DemeRx, Inc.