Lakers Given Brutal Verdict on ‘Only Way’ They Can Beat the Thunder

No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 0-3 deficit in a best-of-seven playoff series. 

That is the exact scenario the Los Angeles Lakers will face if they get anything short of a victory in Game 3 tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Down 2-0 after the first two games in Oklahoma City, the Lakers head into Game 3 at Crypto.com Arena with a huge mountain to climb to eliminate the defending NBA champions.

OKC, to its credit, has looked every bit a No. 1 seed this postseason. It is the only team yet to taste a loss so far. The Thunder won both Games 1 and 2 with an 18-point margin and look set to take Game 3.

Los Angeles Lakers Must Tackle Non-SGA Minutes

The Lakers are still without leading scorer Luka Doncic, who is still nursing a Grade 2 hamstring strain. The Thunder, meanwhile, are with theirs, in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Last season’s MVP hasn’t fired on all cylinders so far in the first couple of games, however, the Lakers have fallen short.

GettyOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MAY 05: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers works against Alex Caruso #9 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter in Game One of the Second Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Paycom Center on May 05, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)

The real damage for L.A. has come when Gilgeous-Alexander sits. According to the California Post’s Michael Duarte, the Lakers have a blind spot when the Thunder superstar is not on the floor. The “only way” the Lakers can win, according to Duarte, is by capitalizing when Gilgeous-Alexander is not on the court.

“[The Lakers] have to win the minutes when SGA is on the bench,” Duarte wrote. “Right now, they’re getting dominated in those minutes. They are minus-26 across two games when SGA is not on the floor. If you can’t win the non-MVP minutes, you don’t deserve to extend this series.”

OKC’s support players like Chet Holmgren and Ajay Mitchell have taken a chunk of the scoring load so far. In Game 2, the Thunder controlled a massive run in the second half while Gilgeous-Alexander was sidelined with foul trouble. 

The Lakers’ arsenal consists mainly of LeBron James who is 41, and Austin Reaves who only returned late in the first round after recovering from an oblique strain. When these guys rest, L.A’s offense and defense drop off sharply. They will have to win the “non-star” minutes if they have any hope of stealing Game 3.

Doing More Than Just Limiting the Reigning MVP

So far so good, one silver lining of the first two games of this conference semifinals is that the Lakers have limited Gilgeous-Alexander. The 27-year-old guard averaged 33.8 points per game in the first round, but so far he has only managed to score 18 points in Game 1 and 22 points in Game 2. 

“The Lakers have actually done a credible job guarding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander,” Duarte added. “The reigning MVP hasn’t had much space to operate, much less be his dominant self. LA has thrown multiple coverages at him the second he crosses half-court. 

Seems like the Thunder knew the Lakers would be on Gilgeous-Alexander and they leveraged that. Playing without Doncic is already an offensive mismatch but the Lakers also have players who can step up and score. Reaves scored a playoff-career high 31 points in Game 2.

GettyLos Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves

The Lakers must also address another key area where OKC has exploited them mercilessly which is turnovers and second-chance opportunities. The Thunder thrive on creating live-ball turnovers and turning defense into offense. 

According to Duarte, the 37 turnovers for the Lakers in these past two games have been from lazy passes, out-of-control dribbling, and poor decisions. 

Game 3 will be a chance for the Lakers to correct some of these wrongs and swing momentum in the series.

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