{"id":1913748,"date":"2026-05-02T04:22:23","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T01:22:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1913748"},"modified":"2026-05-02T04:22:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T01:22:23","slug":"lakers-thunder-preview-without-luka-to-start-can-lebrons-banged-up-group-keep-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1913748","title":{"rendered":"Lakers-Thunder preview: Without Luka to start, can LeBron\u2019s banged-up group keep up?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Los Angeles Lakers four times in the regular season. Four more wins, and the defending champions are back in the Western Conference finals.<\/p>\n

Both teams survived and advanced in the first round. But as the second round looms, each is missing an All-NBA-level player, with Jalen Wiliams and Luka Don\u010di\u0107 sidelined with hamstring injuries.<\/p>\n

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So what have we learned over the past two weeks? And what can we expect from the teams\u2019 first playoff matchup since 2012? Let\u2019s discuss.<\/p>\n

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Why did the Thunder and Lakers win their first-round series?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Joel Lorenzi on the Thunder<\/b>: The Thunder never gave Phoenix any breathing room. Limiting turnovers became the subject of coach Jordan Ott\u2019s meetings, an inevitability for every OKC opponent. When the Suns finally found some semblance of ball control, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still snaked through coverages and dominated. Any mention of the Thunder as a machine must refer to SGA and the defense that backs him.<\/p>\n

Doug Haller on the Thunder<\/b>: There was no drama or adversity against the Suns, but the Thunder advanced because of their defensive depth. They not only stopped Devin Booker, but they got in his head to the point that Booker, the NBA\u2019s ninth-leading scorer during the regular season, became more of a distributor than a scorer. This wasn\u2019t just Luguentz Dort shutting down Booker with physicality. It was Dort and Cason Wallace and Alex Caruso \u2014\u00a0three All-Defensive-caliber players. When Dort went to the bench, Booker got little relief. In Game 1, OKC contested 16 of 17 of Booker\u2019s shots. The Thunder never let up.<\/p>\n

Dan Woike on the Lakers<\/b>: Two words for the Lakers: resilience and adaptability. The injury to Kevin Durant probably opened the door even wider for the team, but after getting rid of Houston in Game 6<\/a>, it\u2019s obvious that the Lakers would\u2019ve been tough to beat regardless. The team played with consistent energy early in the seres and found ways to close \u2014 even when things got more competitive.<\/p>\n

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Will Guillory on the Lakers<\/b>: The easy answer from Houston\u2019s perspective would be Durant\u2019s absence from most of the series due to right knee and left ankle injuries. But the Rockets lost the one game Durant played, and frankly, that game may have been Houston\u2019s worst of the series.<\/p>\n

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Above all, Lakers coach JJ Redick had his team better prepared for the first few games of the series, both in terms of urgency and game plan. It took too long for Ime Udoka to find the proper adjustments. Also, Houston\u2019s offensive performance was so poor \u2014 with or without Durant \u2014 that it couldn\u2019t do enough to take advantage in rebounding and turnovers.<\/p>\n

What did we learn about the Thunder and Lakers that <\/b>should<\/i> carry over to the next series? How do they match up?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Lorenzi on the Thunder<\/b>: We got a sense of what Ajay Mitchell is made of on a meaningful stage. Once Williams went down, Mitchell saw his first two career playoff starts a year removed from hardly being featured in the playoff rotation (primarily due to injury recovery). Game 3 was rough, but he wasn\u2019t shy. Progression isn\u2019t linear, but he was a plus-27 and seriously poised in a closeout game, all while upgrading his efficiency and keeping that volume. OKC is counting on his floor as an offensive stabilizer and secondary creator, and I\u2019m not sure the Lakers have the personnel to make him truly ineffective.<\/p>\n

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Haller on the Thunder<\/b>: They know who they are, which makes sense considering they\u2019re the reigning champs. Williams missed much of the first-round series, and it didn\u2019t matter. Everyone excels in their role and nobody really plays outside of it. Forced shots are rare. Not a lot of brain-dead moments.\u00a0 Maybe that\u2019s because the Suns did not pose much of a threat, but this is an incredibly poised team. As Suns coach Jordan Ott put it, the Thunder are a well-oiled machine.<\/p>\n

Woike on the Lakers<\/b>: They\u2019re a very good game-plan team. Against Houston\u2019s full-strength lineup, the Lakers\u2019 scrambling defense and variety of coverages on Durant showed the kinds of options they\u2019re going to have to throw at Gilgeous-Alexander in Round 2. Credit to Redick and his staff \u2014 they\u2019ve been able to put stuff together that the team can execute.<\/p>\n

Guillory on the Lakers<\/b>: The Lakers\u2019 role players understand their fit and are prepared for the moment. Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard were sensational to start the series. Smart\u2019s playaking was crucial to take some of the burden off LeBron, and he generated some big defensive plays. Smart and Kennard\u2019s impact shrank as they became bigger focal points in the game plan, but their play in the first three games gave LA the cushion it needed. Deandre Ayton\u2019s effort and focus can always be an adventure, but he held up well against Alperen \u015eeng\u00fcn and even got the best of their matchup in a couple games. As the Lakers advance to the next round, it\u2019ll be essential for those guys to keep playing with confidence, especially if Don\u010di\u0107\u2019s return remains unclear.<\/p>\n

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What are you watching most closely about the Thunder and Lakers? (Injury management, X-factors, anything, etc)<\/b><\/h3>\n

Lorenzi on the Thunder<\/b>: Their offensive progression in these half-court playoff settings. We forget because they\u2019ve won a title, but it\u2019s only the third playoff run for OKC with SGA as its cornerstone, and even now, the rotation looks fairly different. They\u2019re still improving. We\u2019ll eventually nitpick the shooting of their perimeter defenders, but Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren\u2019s growing connection will matter during this run. Who Mitchell evolves into will matter during this run. What the Thunder offense looks like when defenses throw the kitchen sink at SGA \u2014 even if he\u2019s dodged doubles to this point \u2014 will eventually matter.<\/p>\n

Haller on the Thunder<\/b>: Redick has been so good this season. He\u2019s navigated the Lakers through issues that could have derailed their season, especially lately with all the injuries. I want to see how he game plans against OKC\u2019s pressure and how he keeps SGA from taking over the series.<\/p>\n

Woike on the Lakers<\/b>: How does Reaves shake off the rust? That\u2019s the biggest floor-raiser the Lakers currently have. Can he put the oblique injury behind him and help the Lakers extend Round 2 long enough for Don\u010di\u0107 to maaaaaybe sneak back into these playoffs?<\/p>\n

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\n Austin Reaves scored just 22 points in his Game 5 return for the Lakers. (Gary A. Vasquez \/ Imagn Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Guillory on the Lakers<\/b>: How will LeBron\u2019s body hold up as the playoffs continue? He\u2019s already shown some signs of slippage with his lackluster Game 4 performance. The Lakers got back Reaves in Game 5, which was extremely important. But as the pressure and physicality of these games increase \u2014 and his days to recover between games decrease \u2014 what will James look like from game to game? And if he\u2019s not performing at a superstar level, what can the Lakers do to find the necessary production outside of him?<\/p>\n

How do you feel about the Thunder\u2019s or Lakers\u2019 long-term playoff chances? Why should or shouldn\u2019t they be in the title conversation?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Lorenzi on the Thunder<\/b>: The Thunder still have the highest floor of any team in the field. The defense is consistently thirsty. They have a longer rotation than any other roster and can downsize when they please. They can adjust their lineup based on that series or nightly needs. They\u2019ve seemingly unlocked Holmgren as a play finisher and rebounder, among the several wrinkles they didn\u2019t have when they won a title. And there\u2019s Gilgeous-Alexander, who somehow was more effective as a pick-and-roll ballhandler in the first round despite being in the 98th percentile in the regular season. He\u2019s got more control over the game than he\u2019s ever had.<\/p>\n

Haller on the Thunder<\/b>: The Thunder are deep and talented, and when all else fails, they have a superstar who can get them to the finish line. The Suns had a top-10 defense, and they had no chance against Gilgeous-Alexander. He beat them from the foul line. He beat them with efficiency. He beat them in the half court, and he beat them in transition. As the Thunder advance, the competition will get better. Games will get tighter. And SGA will meet the moment.<\/p>\n

Woike on the Lakers<\/b>: The Lakers know they\u2019re not in the same long-term conversations as the Thunder. They are still trying to figure out how much juice is left in this core. Change feels like it\u2019s coming \u2014 and will probably need to happen \u2014\u00a0for the Lakers to get close to the Thunder on paper.<\/p>\n

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Guillory on the Lakers<\/b>: The Thunder are just too good. Their activity on defense is too ferocious. Their depth is too reliable. Their home-court advantage is overwhelming. Gilgeous-Alexander is too dominant in the moments that matter. Getting to this point was an impressive achievement for the Lakers, considering what they had to overcome. But they\u2019re headed toward a buzzsaw.<\/p>\n

Prediction, and why?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Lorenzi<\/b>: I\u2019m not sure when or if Don\u010di\u0107 can make it back in time, but these Thunder have obliterated the Lakers even when he\u2019s been active. Gilgeous-Alexander is the best player in the series, perhaps in any series now, and the defense behind him is bound to make any superstar less efficient than they were in the regular season. Williams\u2019 potential absence, while significant, does not alter OKC\u2019s complexion to the point that it can\u2019t be an overwhelming favorite. Thunder in 5<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

Haller<\/b>: The regular season means little in May, but OKC\u2019s performance against the Lakers this season is difficult to ignore. The Thunder won all four games by 29, nine, 43 and 36 points. The Lakers weren\u2019t always at full strength, but this is ugly. Thunder in 5<\/b><\/p>\n

Woike<\/b>: I\u2019ll tilt away from the regular season meaning anything here and give the Lakers some credit for their toughness and resourcefulness. But this seems like it\u2019s lopsided. Thunder in 6<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

Guillory<\/b>: The Thunder\u2019s ball pressure is too much to handle for a team with such limited perimeter playmakers. And unlike Houston, when the Thunder take the ball, they go down and put it in the basket. Even if they don\u2019t get those easy points off turnovers, Gilgeous-Alexander is playing at an all-time great level right now, and the Lakers don\u2019t have enough answers to slow him down. Thunder in 5<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Los Angeles Lakers four times in the regular season. Four more wins, and the defending champions are back in the Western Conference finals. Both teams survived and advanced in the first round. But as the second round looms, each is missing an All-NBA-level player, with Jalen Wiliams and Luka […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,241],"class_list":["post-1913748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nytimes-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1913748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1913748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1913748\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1913748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1913748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1913748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}