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We now have three nights in the NBA Playoffs with two games each night. It was the same story almost every night. On Monday, we saw the Knicks beat the 76ers, and the Timberwolves didn’t beat the Spurs. On Tuesday, the Pistons won a close game against the Cavs, and the Thunder killed the Lakers. Last night, the Knicks narrowly survived the 76ers, and the Spurs blasted the Timberwolves. Will we have a repeat of the close game and blowout on Thursday?
Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets the edge against the Phoenix Suns in Game 3 of their first-round series in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. (Ross D. Franklin/AP)
If the air is going to be blown up, then the Los Angeles Lakers will be smoked again. In Game 1, the Lakers hung with the Thunder in the first half of the game. It looks like it’s going to be very competitive, considering Los Angeles went into the locker room down just eight at halftime. The problem was that all of the Lakers’ goals came in the first half. They had just 37 of 90 points in the second half. Overall, the team shot 41% from the floor, 33% from deep and 77% from the free throw line.
In this game, they need to change their strategy a bit. I think the simple thing is that Austin Reaves needs to get better. He played 36 minutes and scored just eight points on 3-for-16 shooting. Part of that is the Thunder’s defense, but a lot of it is that they are rusty from missing time. It is also possible that he does not heal all the way. It would also help if they get donations from their bench. The team mustered only 15 points. Thunder’s Jared McCain had 12 points alone.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drives against the Washington Wizards in the second half at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Oct. 30, 2025. (Alonzo Adams/Images)
The Oklahoma City Thunder are on their way to the championship. Honestly, if they lose more than three games this postseason, I’d be shocked. They will need a lot of injuries to lose. How beautiful are they? They won all five games in the finals, and they don’t even have their runner-up. Sure, the Lakers are missing their best player, but they’ve only played one game. The big question about popularity is not whether they will win, it is whether someone will scare them.
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Game 1 wasn’t even the best performance from Dunder. Sure, their defense was strong in holding the Lakers to 90 points, but the offense wasn’t as sharp. They still collected 108 points. They also had a long break between games, though, so I think we’ll see their offense improve in this one. They swept the Suns on April 27. The Lakers had to play on April 29 and May 1.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers shakes hands during a pregame ceremony before the first quarter against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, on April 24, 2026. (Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored only 18 points in Game 1, the first time since Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals last season that he failed to reach 20 points. He scored 40 in the next game. The books expect him to strike again with a total of 29.5 tonight. I think you are missing the point. I expect the Lakers to be more aggressive and better on offense. This would be a sprinkle game for me, though.
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My official game is to take over 210.5 in this game. There really isn’t a ton of Los Angeles offense to speak of, but if they can get to 100 points, or even 95, I think the buzz will take over there. I would expect Gilgeous-Alexander to have a better match, and one that fits the overall theme. Give me more than 210.5.
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