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HOUSTON — The Lakers were supposed to be the easy playoff matchup in the difficult Western Conference. They didn’t get the memo.
LeBron James’ Herculean effort led the shorthanded Lakers to a six-game series win over the Houston Rockets in the first round, setting up a conference semifinal series against the Oklahoma City Thunder that begins Tuesday.
The Lakers season took a turn for the worst the last time the Lakers played in Oklahoma City, losing Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to regular-season ending injuries. The demoralizing loss sent the Lakers into a three-game tail spin one month before the playoffs.
But where most saw concern, Lakers coach JJ Redick saw opportunity.
“I had no doubt in my mind that we could get the group back and build the belief and confidence and be able to execute and give ourselves an opportunity to win a playoff series,” Redick said. “And then go take on the world champions and be competitive in that.”
The Thunder have lived up to their championship billing; they were the only team to sweep their first-round playoff series. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 33.8 points on 55.1% shooting and eight assists in the first round against the Phoenix Suns. The Thunder played two games without All-NBA wing Jalen Williams, who injured his left hamstring in Game 2 and was week-to-week with a Grade 1 strain.
Doncic’s Grade 2 left hamstring strain will likely keep him out at least for the beginning of the series.
Here’s how the teams match up (with regular-season statistics):
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Key team stats
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LAKERS: Regular-season record: 53-29 Offensive rating (OFF RTG): 117.0 (10th) Defensive rating (DEF RTG):115.5 (20th) Net Rating (NET RTG)*: 1.5 (14th)
THUNDER: Regular-season record: 64-18 Offensive rating (OFF RTG): 117.6 (7th) Defensive rating (DEF RTG): 106.5 (1st) Net Rating (NET RTG)*: 11.1 (1st)
(*Net rating subtracts defensive rating from offensive rating for a projected margin of victory.)
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Players to watch
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LAKERS: LeBron James: 20.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 7.2 apg, 51.5 fg%/31.7 3-pt. fg%/73.7 ft% Austin Reaves: 23.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 5.5 apg, 49.0 fg%/36 3-pt. fg%/87.1 ft% Deandre Ayton: 12.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1 bpg, 67 fg%/64.5% ft
THUNDER: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 31.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 6.6 apg, 55.3 fg%/38.6 3-pt. fg%/87.9 ft% Chet Holmgren: 17.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.9 bpg, 55.7 fg%/36.2% 3-pt. fg%/79.2 ft% Isaiah Joe: 11.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.3 ast, 45.5 fg%/42.3 3-pt. fg%/89.4 ft%
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How the Lakers fared
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Season series: 0-4
Nov. 12, 2025, in Oklahoma City Thunder 121, Lakers 92 Neither team was at full strength with James sidelined because of sciatica and the Thunder without Luguentz Dort and Jalen Williams. Oklahoma City still dominated behind an effortless 30-point, nine-assist night from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. It was the largest defeat of the season for the Lakers until April.
Feb. 9, in Los Angeles Thunder 119, Lakers 110 Both teams were without their MVP candidates as Gilegous-Alexander sat because of a strained abdominal muscle and Doncic was sidelined by a hamstring injury. The Thunder proved their depth and chemistry by holding off the Lakers in the fourth quarter. This was one of just eight clutch-time losses for the Lakers during the regular season.
April 2, in Oklahoma City Thunder 139, Lakers 96 The nightmare score wasn’t as scary for the Lakers as seeing their two leading scorers injured in the same game. Reaves played through what was later diagnosed as a Grade 2 oblique muscle strain, and Doncic left in the third quarter with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain. The game was expected to be a major showdown between MVP candidates and a litmus test for the Lakers, who entered with 13 wins in their previous 14 games.
April 8, in Los Angeles Thunder 123, Lakers 87 The Lakers were without four starters and still reeling from the regular season-ending injuries suffered by Doncic and Reaves the previous week. Matching up with the Thunder again only exacerbated the emotional hangover. Redick tried to inject some energy into the group by benching veterans Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt for small mistakes early, but the coach later admitted the tactic didn’t work.
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Early odds
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The Thunder opened as 16-point favorites to win Game 1. James has never been a bigger underdog in a playoff game, according to Yahoo Sports.
The post An early look at how the Lakers and Thunder match up entering their playoff series appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
