{"id":194106,"date":"2026-05-05T10:00:04","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T14:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=194106"},"modified":"2026-05-05T04:46:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T08:46:09","slug":"thunder-vs-lakers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/05\/05\/thunder-vs-lakers\/","title":{"rendered":"Thunder Vs Lakers Round 2 Preview: What’s At Stake?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oklahoma City breezed its way<\/a> to the second round, while Los Angeles barely survived. Now it all comes down to a huge clash. The Thunder vs Lakers showdown is coming in hot. But what should fans expect heading into the West Semis featuring LeBron James<\/a> and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a>?<\/p>\n

But there’s actually a whole lot more to expect in the coming battle. OKC is heading into the series as favorites, having swept LA for the whole season with massive margins of victory. But that doesn’t predict the series overall. In fact, there are high stakes for both teams heading into the clash.<\/p>\n

Thunder vs Lakers Round 2 Preview: What’s at Stake?<\/h2>\n

The West Semis are as stacked as they can be. The Spurs-Wolves showdown has injected a very fun and competitive start. Now the expectations for the Thunder-Lakers series seem to be the same. However, given the history of these two teams, it seems we’re going to be locked in for a treat of impressive games to watch.<\/p>\n

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The Last Time Thunder Vs Lakers Matchup Happened In The Playoffs…<\/h3>\n

The last time OKC faced the Lakers in the playoffs also happened to be in the West Semis. In 2012, Oklahoma City took down Los Angeles in five games, sending the late Kobe Bryant<\/a> home in what became his final playoff series as well. That was capped by the iconic flip shot by Russell Westbrook<\/a> in Game 5. It was the series that defined the Thunder as a contender in the NBA.<\/p>\n

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May 21, 2012: WCSF G5, The Russell Westbrook Flip Shot. pic.twitter.com\/pYudt0R8Dl<\/a><\/p>\n

— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) May 21, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n