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The Oklahoma City Thunder swept the Los Angeles Lakers out of the NBA playoffs Monday, winning Game 4 by 115-110 to advance to the Western Conference finals and leaving the future of LeBron James uncertain.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points to lead the Thunder, which improved to 8-0 in the postseason with its second consecutive sweep.
Chet Holmgren sealed the victory with a go-ahead dunk with 32.8 seconds remaining after the Lakers briefly took the lead in the final minute.
James, 41, finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds in what may have been the last game of his 23rd NBA season.
The four-time champion is set to enter the offseason as an unrestricted free agent after his contract with the Lakers expires.
"I don't know what the future holds for me, obviously, as it stands right now, tonight," James said. "I've got a lot of time. I'll go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them, and when the time comes, obviously, you guys will know what I decide to do."
Austin Reaves contributed 27 points for Los Angeles but missed a tying 3-point attempt with eight seconds left.
Rui Hachimura added 25 points, including a four-point play that cut the Thunder's lead to one in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers had entered the postseason shorthanded after losing Luka Doncic to a grade 2 hamstring strain on April 2. The Slovenian guard did not play in the playoffs and watched Game 4 from the bench.
Despite the injury, Los Angeles advanced past the Houston Rockets in the first round before falling to Oklahoma City in five straight defeats across both series.
Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault acknowledged the Lakers' resilience. "They won more of the minutes tonight than we did," he said.
"They outplayed us for stretches. They're a really good team with prideful players. We did not expect them to give us an unearned win, and we went out and earned it."
The Thunder now awaits the winner of the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves series, which is tied 2-2 heading into Game 5 on Tuesday.
Oklahoma City has reached the Western Conference finals for the sixth time in the last 16 seasons.
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