LeBron James seemed frustrated after he tried to almost single-handedly will the Lakers’ offense tonight against the defending champions, the Thunder. He ended the game leading all scorers in the game with 27 points, six assists, and four rebounds while shooting 12-17 from the field (70.6%) and 3-6 from beyond the arc (50.0 3P%).
Despite such an efficient game, the Lakers fell short 90-108 as players like Austin Reaves, Marcus Smart, and Luke Kennard struggled to find their flow on offense.
Even after holding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to under 20 points for the first time since the playoffs last season, the Thunder managed to dominate and close out the game with solid performances from Chet Holmgren, Jared McCain, and Ajay Mitchell.
LeBron James’ frustrations nearly came to the surface when he clearly sounded off during his postgame media scrum. When asked about holding Gilgeous-Alexander to only 18 points and six assists (8-15 FG, 53.3 FG%), James did not sound pleased with the question.
“We’re down one. This ain’t Shai vs. the Lakers. It’s Lakers vs. the Thunder. We’re down 1-0. Keep the main thing the main thing, if we win or lose, that’s what it’s all about,” said James as he dodged any comment on Gilgeous-Alexander’s game.
Lebron:
“We’re down 1. This ain’t Shai vs the Lakers. It’s Lakers vs the Thunder We’re down 1-0. Keep the main thing the main thing” pic.twitter.com/MviOdpWR54
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) May 6, 2026
Moreover, he was asked about the Lakers’ glaring issues on the offensive end of the floor. He pointed to the absence of Luka Doncic, hinting that the Thunder’s defense was too much for them to manage without Doncic in Game 1.
“The offensive issues coming from? We have a guy that averaged 37 a game…. 33.5 per game… There are issues right there. We’re playing against the No. 1 defensive team in the NBA in ratings or whatever. And when you play them, you need guys that can attract multiple defenders on the floor at all times.”
“I feel like we had some great shots tonight, and we missed them. You play against the world champions without having a guy that averages 34; we need to be better at finding ways to get to the blender, finding ways to get to the paint.”
“We know they’re a paint-swarming team, so we have to be better at getting into the paint and not turning the ball over and shooting with confidence,” concluded James.
Q: Where do you think the offensive issues are coming from right now?
LeBron: “The offensive issues coming from? We have a guy that averaged 37 a game. There’s the issues right there” pic.twitter.com/rYq6MYEEt2
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) May 6, 2026
This is not a shot at his own teammates, who combined for 17 turnovers tonight (James had only two of them), but an urgency alarm to push them to be better. Luka Doncic’s best-case scenario right now is a Game 3 return or potentially Game 4.
Until then, players like Austin Reaves and Luke Kennard will have to take up the burden of the playmaking alongside James. Reaves had four turnovers to go with his eight points, five rebounds, and six assists tonight. Clearly, he did not contribute as much as he could on offense, as he shot 3-16 from the floor (18.8 FG%) and missed all five of his three-point shot attempts.
The only bright spark for the Lakers’ offense was Rui Hachimura with his 18 points, two rebounds, and two assists while going 7-13 from the field (53.8 FG%) and 3-6 from beyond the arc (50.0 3P%). But as good as he is on offense, he is a defensive liability who finished the game with a -21 net (+/-) rating.
Therefore, it is now on the shoulders of players like Austin Reaves and Luke Kennard to step up in their games for the Lakers to have any chance of extending this series until a time that Doncic is back on the roster fully healthy.
