Short-handed Lakers blown out again by Thunder

Lakers on verge of falling to 5th place in West after third straight loss

Apr. 8, 2026 at 4:49am

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting a basketball game, with the players and court broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes and planes in a variety of bold colors, conveying the chaos and intensity of the Lakers' lopsided loss to the Thunder.The Lakers' struggles without their top players have put their playoff positioning in jeopardy, potentially setting up a difficult first-round matchup against the dominant Thunder.Oklahoma City Today

The Los Angeles Lakers faced the NBA-leading Oklahoma City Thunder without several key players, including Luka Dončić, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, and were blown out 123-87. The loss was the Lakers' third straight and has them in danger of falling to fifth place in the Western Conference standings, potentially losing home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Why it matters

The Lakers' recent struggles without their top players have put their playoff positioning in jeopardy, as they risk falling out of the top four seeds in the West. This could set them up for a difficult first-round matchup against the Thunder, who have already dominated them twice this season.

The details

The Lakers faced the Thunder without four starters (Dončić, James, Reaves, Marcus Smart) and a key rotation player (Jaxson Hayes). This left them severely undermanned against the NBA's top team, who had previously beaten them by 43 points. The Thunder once again handily defeated the Lakers, winning 123-87 and handing L.A. its third straight loss.

  • The Lakers entered last week's game against the Thunder in third place in the Western Conference standings.
  • The Lakers are now in danger of falling to fifth place in the West, potentially losing home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The players

Luka Dončić

The Lakers' leading scorer, out for the rest of the regular season with a hamstring strain.

LeBron James

The Lakers' veteran star, out on Tuesday with a foot injury.

Austin Reaves

The Lakers' second-leading scorer, out for the rest of the regular season with an oblique strain.

Marcus Smart

The Lakers' starting point guard, out since March 21 with an ankle injury.

Jaxson Hayes

A key rotation player for the Lakers, out on Tuesday with foot soreness.

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What they’re saying

“The Lakers' indignity was predictable on Tuesday, but that doesn't mean it counts any less in the standings.”

— Jack Baer, Author

What’s next

It's unclear when Dončić and Reaves, the Lakers' two leading scorers, will be able to return during the postseason. The Lakers are now a +30000 underdog (300-to-1) to win the NBA Finals at BetMGM.

The takeaway

The Lakers' recent injuries to key players have put their playoff positioning in jeopardy, as they risk falling out of the top four seeds in the West. This could set them up for a difficult first-round matchup against the Thunder, who have already dominated them twice this season, further complicating the Lakers' path to the NBA Finals.