The Los Angeles Lakers stayed afloat and held a second-half lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder, but in the end, OKC was too much for the Lakers to overcome. LeBron James and Austin Reaves let their frustrations out after the game, and didn't wait for any media availability to do so.
Oklahoma City defeated Los Angeles in Game 2, 125-107, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren's 22-point nights. The Lakers were led by Austin Reaves, who recorded a game-high 31 points with six assists while LeBron James added 23 points and six assists of his own.
The Thunder took 14 of their 26 free throws in the third quarter alone, which was among the frustrations of the Lakers.
Once the final buzzer sounded, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and members of the Lakers approached the three officials to express their frustrations in a rare scene after the buzzer.
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Austin Reaves and the Lakers remain on the court after the final buzzer, talking to the officials ๐pic.twitter.com/iLH4UotrEG
โ ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 8, 2026
On the night, the Thunder took 26 free throws to the Lakers' 21. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who upset many fans with his foul-drawing tactics, attempted a team-high nine free throws while Ajay Mitchell and Chet Holmgren each attempted seven. Meanwhile, Austin Reaves took 10 of the Lakers 21 free throws in Game 2.
The Western Conference series will now shift to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday night and Monday night. Without Luka Doncic, the Lakers need to play near-perfect basketball for 48 minutes, which is a difficult challenge against a team as good as the defending NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Los Angeles Lakers stayed afloat and held a second-half lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder, but in the end, OKC was too much for the Lakers to overcome. LeBron James and Austin Reaves let their frustrations out after the game, and didn't wait for any media availability to do so.