Why Lakers vs. Thunder Ranks Among the Worst Matchups in NBA Playoff History
After beating the Houston Rockets in six games in their NBA playoff series, the Los Angeles Lakers face the Oklahoma City Thunder next in the Western Conference semifinals.
Sure enough, there is plenty of excitement surrounding the showdown. After all, the Thunder are the reigning NBA champions and are currently the favorites to win it all once again.
As for the Lakers, LeBron James has proven once again that he can still lead a team. With Luka Doncic reportedly still unlikely to return from his Grade 2 hamstring strain in the series, plenty of eyes will be on the 41-year-old superstar once again.
However, while it will be interesting to watch whether James can make his magic work against the Thunder, the head-to-head matchups between the two teams during the season suggest their playoff series could be one-sided.
Lakers vs. Thunder: Worst NBA Playoff Matchup Ever
As Arash Markazi of The Sporting Tribune shared, the Thunder beat the Lakers by an average winning margin of 29.3 points per game. That ranks as the "worst of any playoff matchup in NBA history."
The Thunder swept all four games that they played during the season, with the Lakers losing by more than 35 points twice and more than 25 points once.
The Thunder beat the Lakers by an average of 29.3 points per game this season. It's the worst of any playoff matchup in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/gBMVg9eb0V
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) May 2, 2026
Lakers vs. Thunder Head-to-Head
In the Lakers and Thunder's first game of the regular season last Nov. 12, Oklahoma City won 121-92. L.A. was without James at the time, but Doncic played and scored just 19 points on 7-of-20 shooting.
L.A. and OKC met again on Feb. 9, with James playing and Doncic being ruled out. It was the closest battle between the two, but the Thunder still won 119-110. James tallied 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting.
The Thunder and Lakers then met two more times in April. In their April 2 showdown, OKC secured a 139-96 victory behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 28 points. James and Doncic suited up in the contest but combined for just 25 points.
In their final regular-season showdown, the Thunder took a 123-87 win. Both James and Doncic were ruled out for the game.
Thunder Defense a Major Problem for the Lakers
As the Lakers have seen in their previous matchups with the Thunder, OKC boasts elite-level defense. In fact, they had the best defense in the NBA during the regular season, with a defensive rating of 106.5.
It doesn't help the Lakers that the Thunder are also a very good offensive team. The SGA-led squad had the seventh-best offensive rating (117.6) during the season.
For comparison, the Lakers were 10th in offensive rating (117.0) and 20th in defensive rating (115.5).
Related: NBA Makes Flagrant Foul Decision After Lakers-Rockets Game 6
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 6:10 PM.