The Oklahoma City Thunder have defeated the Los Angeles Lakers by significant margins throughout the current NBA season, including their second round playoff series, according to a May 9 statement. The Thunder now hold a 2-0 lead in the series after winning all six matchups against the Lakers this year.
This development is notable because it marks an unprecedented level of dominance over the Lakers in recent history. According to ESPN Insights, “the Thunder are the first team to beat the Lakers by 15 points or more five times in the same season since the NBA/ABA merger in 1976.” This statistic highlights just how one-sided these contests have been.
While most games between these teams have not been close, there was one exception: a regular season game played in Los Angeles with all of the Lakers’ star players available. However, another decisive Thunder win—a 123-87 result—was not included on ESPN’s graphic but does fit within this trend.
The article notes that injuries have impacted several matchups, as at least one member of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, or LeBron James has missed all but one contest between these teams. In that sole exception on April 2, Doncic left early due to a Grade 2 left hamstring strain from which he is still recovering.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick discussed what his team needs to address following their latest loss. “We’re starting to see some trends here and we probably need to go back to the two keys we had against Houston, which was take care of the ball and box out,” Redick said. “Because it’s not a high volume, but they’ve killed us in two games. Every time they’ve gotten an offensive rebound, they’ve scored.”
Looking ahead, returning home for upcoming games at Crypto.com Arena may offer an opportunity for improvement as Los Angeles seeks answers against Oklahoma City’s depth.