LeBron James is the Difference-Maker in Lakers vs Thunder Series

The Los Angeles Lakers take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Tuesday, May 5, and while the Thunder are heavily favorited to take the series, don’t discount the king.

James is more than a veteran in the NBA. At 41 years old, he’s the older player in the league, and he’s still breaking records on pretty much a nightly basis.

If the Thunder, or their fans, think this is going to be an easy road to victory, or even a sweep, they have another thing coming, as the famed Judas Priest song says.

Ahead of the conference semifinals, plenty predictions are dropping in. In a piece out on Monday, May 4 for USA Today, Lorenzo Reyes gives his projections for the second round matchups.

“It took three Game 7s and three series that ended in six,” he notes, “but the first round of the NBA playoffs have wrapped up, which means the conference semifinals are already upon us.”

While he has the Thunder taking this series in just five games, he admits that James is on fire and will be hard to contain.

More sports news: Magic Johnson Gives Clear Assessment of How Lakers Can Upset Thunder

His main reason for going with the Thunder, of course, is the Lakers missing All-Star guard Luka Doncic.

“Without him, LeBron James had to take on a massive role against the Houston Rockets,” he states in the piece. “And, despite his age, he delivered. The Lakers did stumble in the middle of the Houston series, so finding ways to keep James fresh will be crucial.”

He adds: “The return of Austin Reaves was big, and Lakers role players like Marcus Smart and Rui Hachimura played some of their best hoops of the year in the first round.”

More sports news: Victor Wembanyama Did the Unthinkable vs. Wolves in History-Breaking Game

What It Means: Lakers vs Thunder Series

My take: I say, don’t underestimate James playing for his life on the court, but the problem here is that that Thunder are absolutely on fire. They swept the first round and they’re playing like a championship team. Without Doncic, things get compilated for the Los Angeles Lakers, but don’t be surpirsed if they pull off a massive upset.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 10:50 AM.