Published May 6, 2026
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers 108-90 to take a 1-0 lead in the NBA Western Conference semifinal series.
The reigning NBA champions’ balanced offensive performance and solid defensive display were enough to seal the victory against the Lakers, who got off to a strong start but fell behind in the final three quarters on Tuesday.
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Chet Holmgren led the Thunder with 24 points and 12 rebounds, and current NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell each added 18 points.
“We were a little choppy, a little rusty, but we hung in there offensively,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, praising the Thunder’s defense for holding the Lakers to their lowest points in a playoff game since 2021.
“We’re just trying to force people to play outside of their comfort zone, it’s that simple,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of the Thunder’s defense. “Whatever men want to do, we want to take away from them.”
The Thunder’s commanding victory underscored the magnitude of the task the fourth-seeded Lakers face in defying expectations and upsetting the champions in the best-of-seven series.
Oklahoma City dominated the Lakers in the regular season, going 4-0, winning each game by an average of 29.3 points.
Tuesday’s series opener at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City reflected the Thunder’s regular-season dominance, with the champions pulling away late for a dramatic victory.
Despite his 41-year career, James led the Lakers to a 4-2 upset over the Houston Rockets in the first round, leading Los Angeles with 27 points and shooting 12-of-17 in the loss.
Rui Hachimura scored 18 points, Marcus Smart added 12 points and Deandre Ayton added 10 points.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick blamed unforced errors for his team’s problems.
“Mistakes hurt us,” Reddick said. “You’re playing against a world champion, so the margin for error isn’t that high…Tonight there were too many and we have to wipe it out.
“The players played hard. We have to do a better job with execution. It’s all about attention to detail.”
“We cleaned things up and I know it’s going to be better.”
Pistons stop Cavs
In another playoff game on Tuesday, the Detroit Pistons held off a late comeback and Cade Cunningham scored 23 points as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 111-101 in the NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series opener.
The top-seeded Pistons dominated the first half, took a 17-point lead in the third period, and appeared to be heading for an easy victory.
But a spirited rally from Cleveland brought the Cavaliers within four points before Detroit finally caught up again in the fourth quarter.
Cunningham was one of six Detroit players to score in double figures, with Tobias Harris adding 20 points and Duncan Robinson scoring 19 points on five 3-pointers for the Pistons at Little Caesars Arena.
Danis Jenkins added 12 points off the bench, and Orser Thompson and Jalen Duren each had 11 points.
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 23 points, including four 3-pointers, and James Harden had 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
“It was a great team win, protecting the ball and rebounding the ball,” Cunningham told NBC-TV.
“We have a great system in place. There’s always someone to help you when you get tired.”
“But this is a one-time victory, so we have to come back and do it again.”
Detroit defeated Orlando 4-3 in the first round, coming back from a 3-1 deficit to advance to the conference semifinals.
Cunningham said the Pistons are anxious to avoid a repeat.
“At home, you have to protect your home court. We weren’t able to do that last series, so we want to do that again this series,” Cunningham said.
“We have to do this again the day after tomorrow because they’re trying to break in and steal one.”
