The OKC Thunder will host the Los Angeles Lakers for Game 2 of their second-round matchup on Thursday at 9:30 PM ET at the Paycom Center. OKC is up 1-0 after their 108-90 Game 1 win over the Lakers, with the franchise eyeing a 2-0 lead before the series moves to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4.
Chet Holmgren led the Thunder offensively in Game 1, putting up 24 points and 12 rebounds in the win. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had his first game with under 20 points since the 2025 Western Conference Finals, as he scored 18 points with six assists. Ajay Mitchell also contributed 18 points in the win.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 28 points, four rebounds, and six assists in a losing effort, with Rui Hachimura scoring 18 points. Austin Reaves had the most inefficient game in Lakers Playoff history with eight points on 3-16 shooting (18.8 FG%), as the Thunder shut every Laker not named LeBron down in this clash.
The Thunder went 4-0 against the Lakers with an average winning margin of 29.3 points, the largest same-conference regular-season point differential between Playoff opponents in NBA history. It’s going to be a nearly impossible task for the Lakers with Luka Doncic still out, but they’ll hope they can equalize the series in Game 2.
Injury Report
Thunder
Jalen Williams: Out (hamstring)
Thomas Sorber: Out (knee)
Lakers
Luka Doncic: Out (hamstring)
Jarred Vanderbilt: Doubtful (finger)
Luke Kennard: Questionable (neck)
Why The Thunder Have The Advantage
The Thunder’s advantage in Game 2 is visible across the board. OKC shot 42-85 from the field compared to LA’s 35-84, also out-shooting the Lakers from three by going 13-30 while the Lakers went 10-30. The Thunder also had fewer turnovers (14-17), more rebounds (44-40), more assists (29-26), more blocks (7-4), more points-in-paint (48-40), fastbreak points (16-11), second-chance points (21-11), and points off turnovers (20-16). All these small margins wound up resulting in an 18-point win.
The biggest advantage for the Thunder is the absence of Luka Doncic. Expecting a 41-year-old LeBron James to overcome the reigning champions and No. 1 seed is unfair, so until Doncic is back on the court, the Thunder have a major personnel advantage, even with Jalen Williams sidelined. Doncic is the only superstar who can claim to have beaten the Thunder in the Playoffs after his win in the second round of the 2024 Playoffs. As long as Doncic is out, the Lakers lack the x-factor to consistently compete with OKC.
OKC’s overall production from their roster was a huge boost in Game 1 after JJ Redick found the most effective way to stop Shai from scoring in Game 1. It still led to a nearly 20-point win, primarily because rotational players like Holmgren and Mitchell have proven all season that they can step up and make a difference when required.
OKC is also well-equipped to not only limit the production James is capable of, but the entire roster. Outside of Hachimura’s shooting, there was no offensive weapon the Lakers could rely on outside of LeBron. The Thunder’s shutdown of Reaves was a great sign for the franchise, as they have the tools they need to make the Lakers beat them without being over-reliant on James.
Why The Lakers Have The Advantage
The only statistical category in which the Lakers managed to outshine the Thunder in Game 1 was offensive rebounding (11-9). Outside of that, they were comprehensively outplayed by the Thunder. This shouldn’t be a surprise since the Lakers are without their best player against the best team in the NBA over the last two seasons.
Even if he’s 41 years old and in Year 23 of his NBA career, LeBron James is still productive enough to create advantages for LA by himself. He can force the Thunder to play to his pace, as the Lakers need to find ways to slow the Thunder down. He’s an expert at finding the right matchup and attacking it, whether to score himself or create an open look for someone else. The Thunder didn’t double James much in Game 1 to limit his impact as a playmaker, so it might be on James to attack OKC as a scorer in Game 2.
Having only the second guard in NBA history to win DPOY is an advantage as well, as displayed by Marcus Smart’s aggressive defense on Gilgeous-Alexander. If he can find a way to slow Shai down as he did in Game 1, the Lakers will at least have a chance. It’s important to note that no team this season could limit Shai’s production like the Lakers did, so the pieces that made that happen can definitely create advantages for them, especially if their shots are also falling.
The Lakers are thoroughly outmatched, but that was also the case against the Rockets when they were without Doncic and Reaves. Nonetheless, coach Redick found a game plan to give them enough of an edge to seal the wins they needed. Redick will need to pull an even bigger rabbit out of his hat to ensure the Lakers walk out of Game 2 in OKC with a win.
X-Factors
Chet Holmgren has averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks through the 2026 NBA Playoffs, solidifying himself as the team’s most reliable No. 2 option in the series. He’s also their best interior defender, giving him a robust two-way role for the Thunder. OKC has been a No. 1 seed in the West for the entirety of Chet’s career, so his impact as a winning player is evident. He guarantees a positive impact on the court and was the reason OKC won Game 1.
Ajay Mitchell was OKC’s third option in Game 1 and shone in that role. He’s been enjoying a lot of success when Jalen Williams is not on the court, so the team needs his offensive contributions in the absence of their All-NBA forward. Thankfully, Mitchell has been up to the task all season and is averaging 15.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in the Playoffs.
If his performance in Game 1 didn’t make this obvious, Austin Reaves is the most important x-factor for the Lakers. When he can’t impact the game as a high-volume scorer, the Lakers just don’t have enough firepower to keep pace with the Thunder. Reaves has averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in three games so far in the Playoffs, and will need to produce as he did in the two games he played against the Rockets to help the Lakers secure a Game 2 win.
Marcus Smart is averaging 14.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.9 steals in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, making an impact as arguably the best Western Conference defender in the postseason. He had success against Gilgeous-Alexander in Game 1, and the Lakers will rely on him to use every ounce of energy he has to limit Shai’s production to give the Lakers the best chance at success in Game 2.
Prediction
It’s hard to imagine how the Lakers can pull this off. Unless there’s an outlier shooting performance where the Lakers are extra productive and the Thunder somehow struggle, it’s hard to pick the Lakers based on the information we have on paper. The Thunder are favorites to win the NBA title for a reason, and losing Game 2 against a shorthanded Lakers squad at home just isn’t something that seems typical for the franchise that’s run roughshod over the NBA in the last two seasons.
Prediction: Thunder 123, Lakers 107
