Thunder cruise to Game 1 playoff victory over Lakers: Highlights

The Los Angeles Lakers have a steep uphill climb ahead of them.

That much was obvious going into the series, especially being without Luka Doncic, but the gap between them and the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder was on full display when OKC cruised down the stretch to a 108-90 win in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Tuesday night.

The Lakers played well in bursts and hung around for most of the game, thanks in large part to 27 points from LeBron James, but they were worn down by the defending NBA champions as their deficit ballooned to 15 points just two minutes into the fourth quarter and LA was never able to fully recover from there.

The No. 4-seeded Lakers are fresh off an impressive series win over the Houston Rockets in six games, though they raced out to a 3-0 lead without either Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves. Reaves eventually made his return for the final two games of the first round, but Doncic's rehab process has been described as a "slow path" and it's not clear at all when the NBA's leading scorer this season might be back on the floor.

OKC is down a significant contributor of their own, however. Jalen Williams has been out since straining his hamstring in Game 2 of the Thunder's first round series against the Phoenix Suns, and while his absence makes the matchup less lopsided on paper, the Thunder still boast much more depth than the Lakers.

The Lakers managed to get past the Rockets with huge contributions from their role players. None of them played particularly poorly on Tuesday, but that only serves to highlight just how good this Oklahoma City team is.

USA TODAY Sports provided updates and highlights of Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals:

Thunder vs. Lakers Game 1 highlights

FINAL: Thunder beat Lakers 108-90

The Lakers emptied their bench with just under two minutes to go as OKC pulled away throughout the entire fourth quarter to an 18-point win in Game 1. LeBron James' 27 points, four rebounds and six assists kept LA hanging around through the first three frames, but it ultimately wasn't enough as the Lakers were simply beat by a better and deeper team.

Chet Holmgren led the Thunder with 24 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. SGA and Ajay Mitchell added 18 points apiece while Jared McCain provided 12 points -- all of them from three-point range -- off the bench.

Oklahoma City wins their sixth consecutive playoff game dating back to Game 7 of last year's Finals.

OKC takes 15-point lead

The Lakers have turned the ball over twice in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter, and the latest one was particularly costly. Isaiah Hartenstein poked the ball loose from Marcus Smart, Alex Caruso picked it up, took it coast-to-coast and finished with a jam to push the Thunder lead to 88-72.

JJ Redick calls timeout with over 10 minutes left, and the Lakers are down to one timeout the rest of the way.

Thunder bench reacts to Vando injury

Jarred Vanderbilt has yet to return from his second quarter injury that left him doubled over in pain as he walked back to the locker room. There hasn't been an official update on his status, but everything we've seen points to a gruesome hand or finger injury: instant replay showed Vando hitting his right hand on the backboard while trying to contest a shot, he grabbed that hand while appearing to scream, and a new angle making the rounds on Twitter shows the OKC bench's reaction as Vanderbilt walked past them.

END OF 3RD QUARTER: Thunder 84, Lakers 72

The Lakers clawed their way back to within as many as four points in the third, but OKC has responded each time. Austin Reaves has struggled offensively since returning from his oblique strain and tonight has been particularly brutal; he's shot 1-for-11 from the floor with four turnovers, but he does have four rebounds and four assists.

HALFTIME: Thunder 61, Lakers 53

Just as it looked like OKC was starting to run away with it, the Lakers kept the game within reach with a 10-2 run over the final minutes punctuated by two LeBron James buckets to make it a five-point game until a three from Alex Caruso put the Thunder back up by eight.

Chet Holmgren has been dominant in the first half with 18 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in 15 minutes. James has shouldered the offense for LA with 16 points and two assists.

Jarred Vanderbilt heads to locker room

Vanderbilt was visibly in pain after missing a block attempt on a Chet Holmgren dunk and was doubled over as he walked back to the locker room. Replay showed that Vando appeared to have hit his hand or fingers on the lower corner of the backboard.

Thunder push lead to 10 early in second quarter

Oklahoma City kept their momentum from the final seconds of the first going into the second, taking advantage of the Lakers' missed shots and getting five quick points off of two free throws and a three by Jared McCain to expand their lead to double digits.

JJ Redick calls timeout a minute and a half into the quarter.

End of 1st Quarter: Thunder 31, Lakers 26

Closing quarters has been a weakness for the Lakers all season, and that reared its head again tonight as OKC took advantage of a couple Laker turnovers to take the lead in the final minute of the first. LeBron James leads all scorers with 12 points, while Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have shouldered the load for the Thunder with nine and eight points, respectively.

LeBron James starts hot as Lakers hanging with Thunder early

James was a distributor for most of the first round, but he's been aggressive so far in this one with 10 points through the first five minutes of the first quarter. The Lakers have been getting into the paint at will and are currently tied 16-16 following a timeout by OKC head coach Mark Daigneault.

Lakers vs. Thunder Game 1 tips off

We are underway at Paycom Center. The Lakers win the tip and LeBron James takes it to the rim for the opening bucket and the foul, but he missed the and-1 opportunity.

Starting lineups for Game 1 between Lakers and Thunder

Here's the starting five for each team:

Lakers

• LeBron James
• Rui Hachimura
• Deandre Ayton
• Marcus Smart
• Austin Reaves

Thunder

• Luguentz Dort
• Chet Holmgren
• Isaiah Hartenstein
• Ajay Mitchell
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

What time is Los Angeles Lakers vs Oklahoma City Thunder Game 1?

Tip off between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. (PT) on Tuesday, May 5.

How to watch Los Angeles Lakers vs Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday

All times Pacific and accurate as of Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at 11:45 a.m.

• Matchup: Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder
• Date: Tuesday, May 5
• Time: 5:30 p.m. (PT)
• Venue: Paycom Center
• Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• TV: NBC and Peacock
• Streaming: NBC and Peacock

NBA scores and results

See scores, results for all of today's games.

See NBA scores, results from May 4

Odds for NBA games today

The latest NBA odds can be found below from the best sports betting apps . Some odds may include games scheduled on future dates.