Lakers vs. Thunder live updates: 2026 NBA playoffs Game 1 start time, picks and predictions


Hello, basketball fans!

Welcome to The Athletic’s coverage of Game 1 of this Western Conference second-round series as the reigning NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, host LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

OKC wasted little time advancing to the second round with a sweep of the Phoenix Suns, while Los Angeles made its fans sweat a bit — going up 3-0 against the Houston Rockets before eventually winning the series in six games.

Follow along from now through the final buzzer and beyond for the latest news, analysis, reaction, play-by-play and more.



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