ESPN Unanimously Picks Winner of Lakers-Thunder NBA Playoff Series

The Lakers defied the odds by overcoming the Rockets. Now, they face an even bigger challenge as they look to defeat the defending champions. Ahead of their big showdown, ESPN shared its pick for the series.

The 40-year-old LeBron James showed no signs of aging in the first round. He recorded the highest number of points in the entire series and helped the Lakers advance despite Luka Doncic's absence. But now they face an even tougher challenge against a team they've lost to in every matchup this season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having yet another MVP-caliber season, and so are the Thunder. According to 10 ESPN experts, there is no chance that the Lakers can beat OKC. Every reporter has predicted the defending champions as the winner. The panel included notable names such as Anthony Slater, Bobby Marks, and Marc J. Spears, to name a few.

The unanimous vote against JJ Redick's squad may seem harsh, but they faced a similar situation in the first round as well. During the previous round's prediction, 14 out of 15 NBA experts chose the Rockets to beat the Lakers. Only Andre Snellings projected a win for the LakeShow. However, the ESPN reporter now predicts a series defeat for the Lakers in the second round.

That said, the prediction reflects the dominance of the Thunder rather than downplaying the Lakers' chances. Mark Daigneault's team has won 64 games this season and has defeated JJ Redick's side in all four of their meetings. Even the Lakers coach himself praised his opponents as one of the "greatest teams in NBA history".

As ESPN has once again predicted the worst for the Lakers, it's now up to LeBron and company to prove them wrong. The status of Luka Doncic still remains negative for the start of the start of the series.

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This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 9:20 AM.