The Oklahoma City Thunder have a golden opportunity tonight: a win in Game 4 against the Los Angeles Lakers would complete a sweep and send them to the next round of the 2026 NBA playoffs. So far, this second-round series has been anything but competitive. The Thunder's average margin of victory in the first three games? A staggering +19 points.
The Lakers, meanwhile, find themselves in what many are calling "no-man's land." Without Luka Dončić—who has been sidelined since April 8 with a hamstring injury—the team's offensive flow has been off-balance. The harsh reality is that this Lakers squad struggles when the game relies too heavily on LeBron James as the primary playmaker. Without Dončić to share the load, the distribution just isn't there.
On the other side, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hasn't even needed to dial up his MVP-caliber performance to dominate. In this series, SGA is averaging a modest (by his standards) 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. None of the three games so far have been particularly close. That's a scary thought for Lakers fans: OKC is winning big without their superstar needing to go nuclear.
Could the Lakers steal a game? Sure—if LeBron and Austin Reaves deliver high-volume scoring. But unless something major shifts, it's hard to see Los Angeles pushing this series to six or seven games.
Here's a quick look at the first quarter action from tonight's Game 4:
- 1st Quarter, 4:53 left: Lakers go on a 9-0 run to take a 17-14 lead. Finally, some life from the home team.
- 1st Quarter, 6:29 left: Austin Reaves nails a three-pointer, cutting the Thunder lead to 14-11. The crowd is getting into it.
- 1st Quarter, 7:34 left: Teams trade buckets. OKC still leads 12-8.
- 1st Quarter, 9:01 left: Thunder extend their lead to 7-4 early on.
It's a must-win for the Lakers if they want to keep their season alive. Tip-off is at 7:30 PM PT in Los Angeles, and you can catch the action on Prime Video. Will the Thunder close it out, or can LeBron and company force a Game 5? Stay tuned.