NBA League: LA Lakers vs OKC Thunder 12/05/2026

Oklahoma’s depth and efficiency continue to overwhelm the powerless Lakers, leaving the Thunder just one step away from sweeping the series.

Betting on total points

The Los Angeles Lakers are on the verge of elimination from this season’s NBA playoffs and will need a major miracle to avoid being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Without their best player Luka Dončić, the team from Los Angeles simply lacks the quality needed to compete with the reigning champions, who are also missing an important rotation player in Jalen Williams. The return of Austin Reaves brought some offensive spark, as he scored 31 points in Game 2, but it still was not enough to seriously threaten their opponent.

After that game, the Lakers publicly complained about the officiating standards, which slightly shifted in their favor in Game 3. However, despite attempting 25 free throws compared to Oklahoma’s 10, they still suffered another heavy defeat (131-108) as the Thunder delivered a brilliant shooting performance and completely controlled the game.

Interestingly, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged just over 20 points through the first three games, which is below his usual standards, but that has not been an issue for the Thunder. The team’s roster depth and the strong contributions from other players have allowed Oklahoma to dominate by an average margin of around 20 points per game.

This balance of power clearly shows how much room Oklahoma still has to elevate its level of play. On the other side, the Lakers have tried different approaches, but none have worked — especially because of their defensive weaknesses, which continue to allow too many open shots.

Heading into Game 4, everything points toward another comfortable performance from the champions, who are playing at their own pace and efficiently exploiting every weakness of their opponent.