Los Angeles Lakers made unwanted NBA history after blowing halftime leads in back-to-back playoff losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Los Angeles Lakers made unwanted NBA history after another collapse against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals.
The Lakers became the first team in NBA history to lead at halftime in back-to-back playoff games and still lose both by a combined margin of more than 40 points, per OptaSTATS.
In Game 3, Los Angeles entered halftime with a narrow 59-57 advantage before completely falling apart after the break and losing 131-108. The same pattern happened in Game 2, when the Lakers held a 58-57 lead at halftime but eventually suffered a 125-107 defeat.
Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder continue to overwhelm opponents with elite defense, pace and scoring depth. After winning the NBA championship last season, Oklahoma City has taken another step forward and now looks even stronger during the 2025-26 campaign.
The Thunder finished the regular season with an NBA-best 64 wins and have carried that momentum straight into the playoffs. Through the postseason, Oklahoma City remains undefeated while winning games by an average margin of 18.3 points.
Their dominance started in the first round against the Phoenix Suns, where OKC controlled the series from start to finish.
Now the defending champions are just one win away from reaching the Western Conference Finals for the second straight year after building a commanding 3-0 series lead over LeBron James and the Lakers.
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