There is the truth, and then there is the truth that the Lakers accept as their own.

Despite the fact that it was the fourth and final game of a road trip that lasted for less than a week, the way their bones ached and their eyelids hung heavy made it feel like the conclusion of a much longer struggle. The game was played on Thursday against the Thunder.

The loss by a score of 133-110 meant that the club finished with a record of.500 on the trip, which is the standard gauge of success for any NBA road trip. However, after being blown out in Philadelphia and being dominated by the Thunder, it would be difficult to consider this to be a successful outcome.

And then there are the vibes, the ones that started out flawless in Cleveland but have since deteriorated into overt displeasure in Philadelphia and evident annoyance on Thursday against the Thunder.

If there is any lesson to be learned, it is that the Lakers have been good enough more than half of the time through the course of twenty games. However, they have never been particularly good, if ever.

Despite the fact that D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves combined for 30 points, Anthony Davis had 31 points and 14 rebounds, LeBron James had 21 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists, and the Lakers never consistently generated stops against a team that played quicker and harder than they did.

On Thursday, when they were playing on the second night of a back-to-back, they appeared to have moments.

Davis launched an attack from the beginning on Chet Holmgren, a rookie player for the Thunder, while Russell probed the defense, and the Lakers built a lead of more than ten points.

But regardless of whether it was exhaustion or the issues that have been brought to light on multiple occasions throughout the course of the year, the game abruptly changed.

In addition, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was unable to be contained by the Lakers, and Cam Reddish was unable to participate in a single game after recovering from a groin injury. And despite the fact that coach Darvin Ham has expressed optimism regarding Rui Hachimura (who was just recently equipped for a protective mask) and Jarred Vanderbilt (who is gearing up toward his season debut), neither player was available on Thursday.

Jaxson Hayes was also unable to participate because he sustained an elbow injury on Wednesday, which prevented him from playing against the Thunder.

The Los Angeles Lakers were once again defeated on the glass and one again were defeated in transition. There were many possessions that ended with James unable to reach midcourt as he grabbed at oxygen. The Lakers were short-handed and short-winded this time around.

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At least twelve points were scored by each of the five Thunder starters, with Gilgeous-Alexander finishing with 33 points, in part due to the fact that he made ten free throws.

The two games where they allowed the most points to be scored came on this trip. The first game allowed Philadelphia to score 138 points, while the second game allowed the Thunder to score 133 points.

Due to the fact that the Lakers are participating in an in-season tournament, the schedule will be slightly altered in the next week. The Lakers will only play once, which will be on Saturday against the Rockets, before they play home to Phoenix in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.