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Jalen Williams #8 of the Oklahoma City Thunder sits on the bench during the second half in Game Three of the Western Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 25, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Thunder defeated the Suns 121-109.
Jalen Williams has been out with a Grade 1 hamstring injury since Game 2 of the Western Conference first round and has yet to suit up against the LA Lakers in Round 2. Despite his absence, the Thunder remained formidable, beating the Lakers in Games 1 and 2 to carry a 2-0 lead in Los Angeles.
Williams will remain out against the Lakers in Game 3 as LA looks to steal one game in the series at their home floor.
It is good news for the Lakers’ chances in Game 3. The Lakers have been aggressive in double-teaming Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the series. Before his injury, Williams had been the release valve and the secondary scorer after Gilgeous-Alexander.
In two games, Williams, a former All-Star, averaged 20.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists, helping the Thunder win their first two games in the sweep of the Phoenix Suns.
Now, the Lakers will again scheme their defense on Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 18 points in Game 1 and had 22 points in Game 2.
GettyThe LA Lakers look to steal one from OKC.
The Lakers have been successful in keeping Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s production to a minimum. However, the Thunder has been getting much-needed offense from their supporting cast, such as Ajay Mitchell, Chet Holmgren, and Jared McCain.
In Game 2, Holmgren put up 22 points, Mitchell notched 20 points, and McCain had 18 points off the bench to carry the offensive load for the Thunder in the win.
The Lakers looked in control in the first half of Game 2, even leading by one at halftime. The Thunder went on to outscore the Lakers, 36-22, to take control and never look back.
The Lakers leaned on Austin Reaves, who put up 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field, along with six assists. Reaves, who had a subpar eight-point performance in the series opener, is expected to carry the same burden as in the last game.
GettyLos Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves
The Lakers have a lot to fix in Game 3 as they look to avoid a 0-3 deficit in the West semifinals.
For Redick, the Lakers need to take care of the ball better in Game 3 and focus more on the rebounding aspect of the game.
“You can start seeing some trends here,” Redick said after Game 2. “We probably need to go back to the two keys we had against Houston, which are take care of the ball and box out, because it’s not on high volume, but they’ve killed us in both games. Every time they’ve gotten an offensive rebound, they’ve scored.”
The Lakers were outrebounded 32-30 in Game 2 against the Thunder. The Lakers also committed more turnovers in the loss, with 20, eight more than the Thunder.
The Thunder had 26 points off those turnovers. The Lakers only had 14.
It will be easier said than done, as the Thunder has been undefeated in the NBA playoffs so far, sweeping the Phoenix Suns in Round 1 and beating the Lakers by 18 points in the first two games.
Game 3 of the series will be on Saturday, May 9, in Los Angeles.
Rob Andrew Lo Rob Andrew Lo is a writer at Heavy Sports and is covering the NBA. He has covered local, collegiate, professional and international sports in various sites. He was the sports editor of The Varsitarian, the official student publication of University of Santo Tomas, and a sports, entertainment, and lifestyle writer for Rappler. A Journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas, he has built his voice across both collegiate and international platforms, previously contributing NBA coverage to Fansided and Sportskeeda. More about Rob Andrew Lo
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