Lakers Go From Playoff Contender to Pretender in Less Than a Week

LA’s playoff hopes dim with a pair of blowout losses to the Thunder and injuries to its two leading scorers.

Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during a game against the Thunder at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on April 2, 2026. Cooper Neill/Getty Images

The playoff dynamics surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers have taken a beating over a five-day span that featured a pair of striking losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The first game, a 139–96 smackdown on April 3 at Oklahoma City to the reigning NBA champions, cost the Lakers their MVP candidate and leading scorer, Luka Doncic, to a hamstring injury. The next day, Austin Reaves was ruled out for an extended period with soft-tissue damage to his oblique.