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Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson had some strong words for his former team ahead of a pivotal matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Magic Johnson is not sugarcoating what the Los Angeles Lakers are up against in the second round.
The Lakers legend posted on X on May 4 that Los Angeles has an “uphill battle” against the Oklahoma City Thunder, calling out both the defending champions and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander before Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Johnson’s message was not just a hype post. It sounded more like a checklist for how the Lakers can avoid getting overwhelmed by the No. 1-seeded Thunder: protect the ball, defend at a high level and find enough scoring around LeBron James and Austin Reaves.
That is the immediate problem for Los Angeles. Oklahoma City swept the Lakers during the regular season, beating them by an average of 29.3 points per game, according to NBA.com. The Thunder also enter the series as the defending champions after sweeping the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
My Lakers have an uphill battle going against the reigning World Champions OKC and SGA, who in my mind was the MVP of the First Round of the Playoffs! To beat OKC, we have to find a way to not turn the ball over as much as we did against the Rockets and play great on both ends of
“My Lakers have an uphill battle going against the reigning World Champions OKC and SGA, who in my mind was the MVP of the First Round of the Playoffs!” Johnson wrote on X.
Johnson added that the Lakers must “find a way to not turn the ball over” as much as they did against the Houston Rockets and “play great on both ends of the floor.” He also asked who would “step up and provide scoring to help LeBron and Austin.”
That last part is the real pressure point.
LeBron carried the Lakers through much of the Rockets series, and NBA.com noted that he averaged 26.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 8.5 assists in the Lakers’ four first-round wins. But Oklahoma City is a different kind of test because it can punish empty possessions, speed up ballhandlers and score in waves.
Johnson’s praise for Gilgeous-Alexander also stood out because it was not a casual compliment. He called SGA his pick for first-round MVP after the Thunder star averaged 33.8 points, 8.0 assists and 3.8 rebounds against the Suns, according to NBA.com.
For the Lakers, that makes the defensive math brutal. They need to slow Gilgeous-Alexander without overhelping enough to open clean looks for Chet Holmgren, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein and Oklahoma City’s shooters.
Johnson’s post also hinted at the Lakers’ biggest missing piece without naming him: Luka Doncic.
Doncic remains out with a strained left hamstring. He and Reaves were injured during the Lakers’ April 2 loss to the Thunder, though Reaves returned during the Rockets series.
That is why Johnson framed the scoring question around LeBron and Reaves rather than the Lakers’ full-strength offense. Doncic’s absence changes everything about the Lakers’ shot creation, late-clock offense and ability to keep pace with Oklahoma City.
An earliest realistic window for Doncic’s possible return could be when the series shifts to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4, but there is no guarantee he will be available. That makes the first two games in Oklahoma City especially dangerous for the Lakers.
The Lakers-Thunder series begins Tuesday, May 5, in Oklahoma City. Game 1 is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, while Game 2 is set for Thursday, May 7, at 9:30 p.m. ET on Prime Video. The series then shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Saturday, May 9, and Game 4 on Monday, May 11.
That schedule adds urgency to Johnson’s message.
The Thunder are rested after sweeping Phoenix. The Lakers had to survive a six-game series against Houston while still trying to manage injuries and offensive limitations. Oklahoma City also ranked first in defensive rating in the regular season, according to NBA.com’s preview, and the Lakers were held under 100 points in three of their final four games against the Rockets.
So Johnson’s warning is not just about respect for Oklahoma City. It is about the specific way the Thunder can break this series open.
If the Lakers turn the ball over, they feed the Thunder’s transition game. If they do not get secondary scoring, Oklahoma City can load up on LeBron and Reaves. If they cannot keep Gilgeous-Alexander off the foul line and out of the middle of the floor, the defending champs can control the matchup from the start.
Johnson did not pick against the Lakers. But he made the stakes clear before the series begins.
Los Angeles does not need ordinary playoff basketball to beat Oklahoma City. It needs one of its best stretches of the season.
Erik Anderson is an award-winning sports journalist covering the NBA, MLB and NFL for Heavy.com. He also focuses on the trading card market. His work has appeared in nationally-recognized outlets including The New York Times, Associated Press , USA Today, and ESPN. More about Erik Anderson
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