Thunder Beat Lakers Again, Take 2-0 Series Lead
- mike33692
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Thunder Take 2-0 Lead Over Lakers
The Oklahoma City Thunder stayed undefeated in the postseason Thursday night with a dominant 125-107 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
The defending NBA champions now lead the series 2-0 as the matchup shifts to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4.
Thunder Stars Lead Balanced Attack
Both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren scored 22 points to pace Oklahoma City in front of another loud crowd at Paycom Center.
However, the biggest difference came from the Thunder bench.
Oklahoma City’s reserves outscored the Lakers’ bench 48-20, led by rookie Ajay Mitchell, who exploded for 20 points off the bench.
According to the NBA Playoffs official statistics, the Thunder improved to a perfect 6-0 during the 2026 postseason.
Lakers Rally Falls Short After Third Quarter Run
The Lakers briefly seized momentum early in the third quarter after Gilgeous-Alexander picked up his fourth foul on a flagrant-1 offensive call.
At the time, Los Angeles held a five-point lead and the Thunder MVP was forced to the bench.
Instead of collapsing, Oklahoma City responded with a massive 21-5 run behind its depth and defense to retake control of the game.
The Thunder never surrendered the lead again.
Austin Reaves led Los Angeles with a career playoff-high 31 points, while LeBron James added 23 points in the loss.
Analysis from The New York Times NBA coverage noted frustration with officiating became a major theme for the Lakers throughout the second half.
Thunder History Favors Oklahoma City
Historically, the Thunder franchise has never lost a playoff series after taking a 2-0 lead.
Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
The Lakers are also awaiting the possible return of Luka Dončić, who continues dealing with a hamstring injury.
Additional playoff scheduling information is available through the official NBA Western Conference Semifinals schedule.
Western Conference Semifinals Schedule
Game 1: Thunder 108, Lakers 90
Game 2: Thunder 125, Lakers 107
Game 3: May 9 in Los Angeles
Game 4: May 11 in Los Angeles
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