BBNBA Playoffs: SGA, Thunder take a 2-0 lead over Lakers

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s path to a second straight NBA Finals win continues to be a smooth ride.

On Thursday night, the (1) Thunder took a commanding 2-0 series lead with another impressive victory, taking down the (4) Los Angeles Lakers 125-107 in OKC. Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is likely to receive that honor again in the near future, only needed to see 28 minutes of action for the Thunder, dropping in 22 points on 7-13 shooting along the way. SGA’s shot attempts have gone way down this series compared to the regular season, but it hasn’t mattered so far. Without Luka Doncic, the Lakers just don’t have enough firepower to keep up with OKC’s hellacious (and physical) defense.

The Thunder led for most of the first half before Los Angeles fought back near the end of the second quarter. The Lakers even took a five-point lead early in the third frame, but it was all OKC from then on. Their lead grew to as many as 20 points down the stretch. The Thunder shot 14-36 from deep and 55.6 percent overall from the field.

L.A. was also down Jarred Vanderbilt, who is sidelined after suffering a gruesome pinkie injury in Game 1. Adou Theiro grabbed three rebounds in his six garbage time minutes for the Lakers. Meanwhile, OKC guard Cason Wallace chipped in 12 points and four assists on 4-7 shooting (2-3 3PT) in his 31 minutes.

To say the Lakers were unhappy with the officiating in this game would be an understatement. OKC only shot five more free throws on the night, but the Thunder’s physicality clearly got under Los Angeles’ skin. Austin Reaves, who dropped 31 points, aired his grievances through a mid-court meeting with the officials after the final buzzer. OKC is without a doubt the more talented team in this series, but the Lakers are not getting the same benefit of the doubt from the refs when it comes to playing physical.

Austin Reaves and the Lakers just had a meeting with the refs after the game to share their frustration with them. pic.twitter.com/exHIVkrese

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 8, 2026

OKC is also down an All-Star in Jalen Williams — the Thunder are still winning these games by wide margins. Even if the officiating appeared more balanced, OKC would likely still be coming out on top. The top-to-bottom talent gap is noticeable. But I digress. The next two games shift to Los Angeles. Game 3 is set for Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

Thursday night’s stats

Player	Score	PTS	FG (3PT)	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	+/-	MIN
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC)	125-107 W vs. LAL	22	7-13 (1-3)	2	2	1	0	3	5	28
Cason Wallace (OKC)	125-107 W vs. LAL	12	4-7 (2-3)	2	4	1	1	0	17	31
Adou Thiero (LAL)	125-107 L @ OKC	0	0-0	3	0	0	0	1	3	6
Jarred Vanderbilt (LAL)	125-107 L @ OKC	DNP-Finger	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Olivier Sarr (CLE)	107-97 L @ DET	DNP-Inactive	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Tonight in the NBA Playoffs

TIME/TV	MATCHUP	SERIES
7:00 p.m. ET | Prime Video	(2) Knicks (Towns) @ (7) 76ers (Edwards, Maxey)	NYK leads 2-0
9:30 p.m. ET | Prime Video	(2) Spurs (Fox, Johnson) @ (6) Timberwolves (Randle)	Tied 1-1

Got thoughts? Continue the conversation on KSBoard and House of Blue, the most vibrant message board communities in BBN.