- #1 Oklahoma City Thunder (6-0) at #4 Los Angeles Lakers (4-4)
- When: Saturday, 09 May 2026 at 7:30pm CST
- Where: crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA
- TV: ABC
- Playoff Offensive Rating: LAL: 106.5 (12th) / OKC: 125.5 (1st)
- Playoff Defensive Rating: LAL: 109.4 (7th) / OKC: 107.5 (5th)
- Playoff Net Rating: LAL: -2.9 (10th) / OKC: 18.0 (2nd)
- Series Record: OKC leads 2-0
The Tip-Off
I guess we have to talk about it. The complaining by the losing team about the officiating has gotten to “bitching” levels as the playoffs have progressed. Like, I get it. The refs aren’t going to get every call, so let’s complain and hypermagnify the calls that don’t get called (or even the calls that do get called). But the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t lose Game 2 because of the officials. If anything, the refs basically threw LA a bone by having Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in foul trouble most of the evening and having him play the least amount of minutes in a playoff game since Game 1 of the Phoenix series when he sat out the fourth quarter. The Lakers lost the game because they had 20 turnovers and the shots that were falling in the first half, stopped falling in the 2nd half. Over 2 games, there have been 34 free throws attempted to OKC’s 38. Over those same 2 games, there have been 39 fouls called on LA to 35 called on OKC. The national narrative is not matching what the numbers are showing. And can we please, for the love of God, stop with the narrative that the NBA would somehow want OKC to move on more than the the Lakers. In no “Doctor Strange timeline” does that even make any sense.
Betting Info, presented by FanDuel
- Line: OKC -8.5
- O/U: 211.5
Injury Report
OKC
- Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
- Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring)
LAL
- Luka Doncic – OUT (hamstring)
- Jarred Vanderbilt – Questionable (finger)
Three Big Things
- Jared McCain – A late first and a couple of 2nds. That’s all it cost to pry McCain from Philadelphia. When OKC started accumulating their asset chest of draft picks, many people thought they would be used for star hunting. But since OKC did such a great job of assembling this team through the draft, trades, scrap-heap digging, and free agency, there hasn’t the need for star hunting. Instead, now that the roster is basically set, the team can focus on using those picks to get rotational needs. And one of the biggest needs this team had was continued 3-point shooting. But not just any shooting. We needed a shooter who could move around, relocate, get off a quick shot, and could play-make if necessary. We also needed someone who was an awesome person and, it wouldn’t hurt, if they were a social media guru also. The fit has been like a glove and his production in this series has been a door slammer. When he gets on a heater, the game completely flips towards OKC and the Lakers haven’t been able to answer.
- Pace – One thing the Thunder haven’t been able to employ in this series has been increasing their pace, as compared to the much older Lakers. The two teams have been basically even in pace in the first two games of the series. LA has done a good job of stopping OKC’s first action (which is usually orchestrated by SGA) and that has caused OKC’s offense to become more “half-courty” and less transitional in nature. It would almost make more sense for Ajay Mitchell to bring the ball up and let SGA run off-ball to receive it when the defense is already in motion and not set. Or, they may just be saving that for the conference finals.
- Weather the Storm – This definitely feels like a game where either the home team will be hyped early on or the officials will enter into the chat early in the game and make some questionable calls that will benefit the home team. I feel like this will be a Chet Holmgren foul-trouble game. Whatever the case, OKC will need to weather that storm and stay within striking distance.