The Oklahoma City Thunder have looked like the defending NBA Champs all year long, and they continued that run into the First Round of the NBA Playoffs, sweeping the Phoenix Suns in four games and getting the longest break between rounds of any team in the league.
But the Thunder can’t let their guard down. This week, live on NBC and Peacock, they face one of the NBA’s most storied franchises, led by the league’s all-time leading scorer. LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are coming to Oklahoma City, and you can catch all the action with the NBA on NBC.
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How to watch Thunder vs. Lakers Game 1
The Thunder and the Lakers will tip off their Western Conference Semifinals series at 8:30 p.m. ET Tuesday, live from the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. You can catch the game live on NBC or stream it on Peacock as the second part of a doubleheader that begins with the Peacock-exclusive matchup between the Cavaliers and the Pistons in the East.
Mike Tirico will call Tuesday’s game with analysis and commentary from NBA legend Reggie Miller and courtside reporting from Zora Stephenson. Be sure to tune in early, before both games, for NBA Showtime, Peacock‘s exclusive pregame show, at 7 p.m. ET.
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What to expect from Thunder vs. Lakers Game 1
The Thunder are the clear favorites as we begin the series. They’ve been the most dominant team in the league all season, they’ve got Shai Gilgeous-Alexander playing MVP-caliber ball again, and they swept the Lakers in their regular season meetings. All of that plus a series-opener in OKC means that the defending champs are sitting pretty. Getting much more rest than the Lakers is just gravy.
But for Los Angeles, a lack of rest could be a bigger motivator to keep up the level of play that got them past the Houston Rockets, and possibly surpass it. In the First Round series, LeBron looked every bit like the Lakers field general he’s set himself up to be in his 23rd year in the league, leading the team as a veteran while also still able to step up and take charge of the Lakers’ offensive assault when necessary. With James looking great and Austin Reaves back from injury, the Lakers do have a shot if they can keep things tight and efficient.
Will Luka Doncic be back for Lakers-OKC series?
Plus, there’s one more wrinkle to deal with, and that’s Luka Doncic. The 2025-2026 regular season scoring champion has been out for a month with an injury, but could return well before the Conference Semifinals have wrapped up. A dramatic return for Doncic could propel the Lakers to a major upset, but that’s just speculation at this point. For now, expect the Thunder to show up ready and able to sweep yet another series if the Lakers aren’t careful.