Can Lakers survive Thunder? Predictions, odds and schedule for series

May 2, 2026Updated May 3, 2026, 5:01 p.m. ETThe Los Angeles Lakers advanced to the Western Conference semifinals and will face last year's champion, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in a best-of-seven series. The last time these franchises saw each other in the postseason was 2012.The majority of experts and bettors have counted the Lakers out against the Houston Rockets in the first round, but they prevailed and made it past them. But the Rockets aren't a championship team, the Thunder are.The same experts and bettors who counted Los Angeles out in the opening series are doubling down against Oklahoma City. And it makes sense.During their four matchups in the 2025-26 regular season, the Lakers lost all games by an average margin of 29.3 points, the worst regular-season point differential of any playoff matchup in NBA history. Luka Doncic didn't play in two of the four games. Of the two he did play in, he suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain during their April 2 meeting, causing him to leave early. The Lakers lost that game by 43 points and Doncic has been out since.Doncic won't be available to start the series against the Thunder and his timetable is relatively unknown,