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After a first-round sweep of the Phoenix Suns, the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder open a best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series with the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday night (8:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock).
While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder had little resistance from the Suns, Los Angeles needed six games to dispose of the Houston Rockets in their first-round matchup. A 41-year-old LeBron James carried the Lakers, who were without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves for most of the series. Reaves returned to the lineup for Game 5, while Dončić remains questionable with a hamstring injury.
The Thunder won all four regular-season games vs. the Lakers. The average margin of victory in those games was 29.3 points — but it’s worth noting that Los Angeles had James, Reaves and Dončić all playing in just one of those games. If Dončić is back, can the Lakers pull off the upset?
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