LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers battled the Oklahoma City Thunder but were unable to even the NBA second-round series on Thursday, May 7.
Instead, the Lakers fall to 0-2 in the series and move one step closer to potentially being swept by the defending champions.
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The Lakers continue to miss point guard Luka Doncic, and his absence is apparent after the Lakers turned the ball over 20 times, trying to move the ball around and generate some offense.
Austin Reaves was responsible for five, while LeBron James and Marcus Smart each had three. Reaves did carry the offense, shooting 10-of-16 from the field for 31 points.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The NBA playoffs bring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.
See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.
Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
1 / 9
Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The NBA playoffs bring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.
See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.
Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen before Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The shoes of Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
Shoes worn by Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter during Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2026, in Denver, Colorado.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The Nike Lebron XXIII shoes worn by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) against the Houston Rockets in the first half during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, at Crypto.com Arena.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
Shoes worn by Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter during Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2026, in Denver, Colorado.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 18: The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The shoes of Jonathan Kuminga #0 of the Atlanta Hawks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
While the turnovers will likely be a topic of discussion internally, the Lakers remained vocal throughout the game about the fouls called by the officiating crew.
Coach JJ Redick was asked about the officials after the game and noted that James has only had five free-throw attempts over the first two games of the series.
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“LeBron (receives) the worst whistle of any star player I’ve ever seen,” Redick told reporters after the game. “I’ve been with him for two years now, the smaller guys, because they can be theatrical, tend to get more fouls and guys built like LeBron, it’s hard for them.”
Redick also said the Thunder have “guys that foul on every possession,” which he noted all good defenses do. Still, he was left frustrated by the lack of calls.
“They’re hard enough to play. They’re hard enough to play. You gotta be able to just call it if they foul, and they do foul,” Redick said.
Reaves and James were seen postgame among a crowd near midcourt that consisted of other members of the Lakers and the officiating crew. Reaves in particular was vocal with his displeasure.
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James himself had very little to say about the referees after the game.
The Lakers remained aggressive during the game, matching the pace of the Thunder as the teams exchanged respective scoring runs before Los Angeles took a one-point lead into the locker room at halftime.
OKC managed to pull away in the second half after a 32-14 run during the third quarter, all while the Thunder’s star player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, was not on the floor.
The Lakers have the opportunity to overcome all that happened in Game 2, when the series moves to Los Angeles for the next two games.
The Thunder remain in a good place as the franchise has not lost a best-of-7 series when leading 2-0. Oklahoma City also improved to 6-0 during this postseason, having swept the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
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When is Game 3 between Lakers and Thunder?
The Lakers will host the Thunder on Saturday, May 9. The game will air on ESPN at 5:30 p.m. PT (8:30 p.m. ET).
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: JJ Redick, Lakers bemoan refs after Game 2 loss to OKC Thunder
