Published On 6 May 20266 May 2026The Oklahoma City Thunder overpowered the LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers 108-90 to grab a 1-0 lead in their NBA Western Conference semifinal series.A balanced offensive performance and steely defensive display from the reigning NBA champions were enough to seal victory over the depleted Lakers, who started brightly but trailed for the final three quarters, on Tuesday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listChet Holmgren led the Thunder with 24 points and 12 rebounds while reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell added 18 points apiece.“We were a little choppy, a little rusty, but offensively we just stuck with it,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, saluting a Thunder defence that restricted the Lakers to their lowest score in a playoff game since 2021.“We just try to make people play outside their comfort zone, as simple as that,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of the Thunder defence. “Whatever guys like to do, we like to take away from them.”The commanding Thunder victory underscored the size of the task facing the fourth-seeded Lakers if they are to defy the odds and upset the champions in the best-of-seven series.Oklahoma City completed a 4-0 regular-season sweep over the Lakers, winning each game by an average margin of 29.3 points.Tuesday’s series-opener at Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center echoed the Thunder’s regular-season dominance, with the champions pulling away down the stretch to score an emphatic win.James, who had defied his 41 years to lead the Lakers to a surprise 4-2 upset of the Houston Rockets in the firs …
