Here comes another opportunity for the Los Angeles Lakers against the defending NBA champions.
It has been a rough Western Conference semifinals for the Lakers, who entered round two after beating the Houston Rockets in six games to open the playoffs.
Without Luka Doncic and mostly without Austin Reaves, the Lakers were clicking behind the steady hand of LeBron James and Marcus Smart, a pair of savvy veterans who have been there done and that before.
But L.A. now finds itself pinned against a different beast. And the fallout of the first two games has let them know just that.
The Lakers are in an early hole against a team that has not lost a single game this postseason. The Oklahoma City Thunder, winners of 68 regular season games before winning the title a year ago, look hungrier and more potent than ever.
That’s what the ailing Lakers are up against.
But here comes a chance. Game 3. In front of a cheering crowd ready to dish it just as harshly as their Lakers took it from Thunder fans in Game 1 and 2.
Los Angeles Lakers Urged to Wake Up, Look in Mirror
Game 2 was simply ugly for the Lakers.
They played the Thunder tight the entire first half and found themselves leading by one point entering half time.
This was the game to capitalize on.
GettyAustin Reaves playoff career-high points game
The Lakers were instead blitzed by the Thunder in the second half, particularly the fourth quarter, all while slowly but surely losing their composure and getting overly fixated on the officiating.
Whether their complaints were in-bounds or out-of-bounds is perhaps beside the bigger point: they were trounced in the second half for the second game in a row.
Ah, and soon-to-be two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander couldn’t even play the third quarter because of foul trouble.
Which is why The Athletic’s Dan Woike encourages the Lakers to dwell more on their lackluster play than the supposed bad whistle.
“While players complained about the calls they didn’t get or the disrespect they felt from interactions with officials, they also had to be frustrated with the feeling that they’ve spent a majority of the last two games either playing at or — at times — above the Thunder’s level, only to leave town having been outscored by 36 points. The series, as it shifts back to Los Angeles, has been in some ways closer than the scoring gap. However, the margins themselves show just how little time the Lakers have left and how difficult it is for them to get within 10 points, let alone win four times,” Woike wrote.
Let this be a stern reality check.
L.A. had its chances to charge ahead of the champs in Game 2 but saw every run answered.
Even when the Lakers shaved the deficit to just five points later in the fourth quarter, it was answered by eight straight Thunder points.
It’s brutal, devastating for the Lakers to know they blew an opportunity to generate a sizable lead while Gilgeous-Alexander was on the bench.
Good Gameplan, Bad Execution
Plain and simple. And the numbers shout the evidence.
L.A. has done its job in merely limiting Gilgeous-Alexander’s shot attempts; the reigning MVP has taken just 28 shots in two games. But he’s arguably the best in the NBA at beating double teams. He has shown it all season.
GettyMarcus Smart #36 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder look on during the fourth quarter in Game Two of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Paycom Center on May 07, 2026 in Oklahoma City,
In Game 2, Gilgeous-Alexander often expertly thwarted double teams by finding a wide open teammate. The Lakers were fortunate the Thunder started the game shooting just 2-for-10 from the 3-point line.
Once those shots started falling, the game was quickly over.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick appears to have a solid gameplan. The problem is the Lakers aren’t deep enough, talented enough or athletic enough to bother the Thunder for 48 minutes.
L.A. may try the same gameplan for the third game in a row. It probably won’t work in the end.
The Lakers may try a different gameplan in Game 3. Well, it probably won’t work.
But perhaps they can drive off the energy and spirit produced by the home crowd to make things interesting.
Lakers Receive Brutal Message Before Game 3 vs. Thunder