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While the Eastern Conference gave us three game sevens in round one, the West gave us no such drama. Oklahoma City and San Antonio moved on with ease, and Los Angeles and Minnesota won their game sixes by sizeable margins. Unfortunately for the viewer, the Lakers and Timberwolves are missing their best players as they get sent into the arena to fight the two title favorites. Maybe they have unexpected fight in them, but the overwhelming likelihood is that the heavy favorite could be moving on quickly. Here are my picks, along with fellow contributor Tyler Edsel’s, for the second round of the Western Conference playoffs:
Thunder (1) vs (4) Lakers
Series moneyline: Thunder -1600, Lakers +900
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David’s pick: Thunder over Lakers 4-0
This series is going to be a bloodbath. The Thunder are far and away the best team in the NBA, and the Lakers are… not. They will likely be without Luka Doncic for the entirety of the second round, but I do not think that matters. The Lakers do not have the defensive versatility to guard what the Thunder want to do. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a matchup nightmare for Los Angeles, and the Thunder’s size is a problem. Maybe LeBron James has the wisdom to steal one game, but I find that too unlikely. Give me the Thunder in a convincing sweep.
Series props:
Thunder to win 4-0 (+120)
LeBron James to lead series in assists (-160)
A sweep is incoming. Holmgren will likely be on the floor when the Thunder go smaller, and when Hartenstein is out there, I anticipate Holmgren will be on Ayton rather than a forward, leaving him closer to the rim. James is the best passer by a mile for both sides and should average a lot of assists if the Thunder bring late doubles.
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Tyler’s pick: Thunder over Lakers 4-0
If the Lakers were healthy, this was going to be a tough mountain to climb. However, they are not, and it doesn’t sound like Luka Doncic will be coming back anytime soon. In the nitty gritty of the series, the Thunder will have the best player on the floor and probably five of the top seven or eight. I think the OKC coaching staff is a bit overrated, but it’ll be really…
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Publish date : 2026-05-04 11:00:00
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