With yet another eventful night of NBA Playoff basketball behind us, the fans were treated to much of the same as on Tuesday. Top seeds in both the Western and Eastern Conferences continued their strong push into the Conference Finals as the OKC Thunder and Detroit Pistons both got their second wins. With 2-0 on the scoreboard, they will not travel to Los Angeles and Cleveland, respectively, to face the Lakers and Cavaliers in their arenas and try to finish series sweeps on enemy territory. And judging by how last night’s games went, it should not be much of a problem for either team.
As things are shaping up, it is going to be a rough few days for LakeShow and The Land. Neither team seems capable of overcoming their own shortcomings while simultaneously being able to play at the same level as their superior opponents. The 2026 Playoffs started great with one of the best first rounds in recent memory. As things are shaping up, the second round could see at least two sweeps. Do not be surprised if all four matchups end with either 4-0 or 4-1 scores. The favorites are more than obvious, and NBA betting fans have a field day each time they pick their markets.
Oklahoma City Thunder Looks Invincible
A scenario for you. Your superstar player and reigning Finals MVP gets in foul trouble and has to sit down for almost an entire quarter. You play against a good team that is somewhat overachieving and has one LeBron James in their midst. You are supposed to lose the lead and get behind a bit before your number one option gets back and helps you out. Right? Wrong. If you are OKC, it is very wrong. Instead of trailing and the game slipping away, you go on a run with the bench players and flip the game to your favor.
When Shai Gilgeous-Alexander picked up his fourth foul of game 2 of the WC semi finals, it was 10:34 left in the third quarter, and the Thunder was down by 2 points. By the end of that quarter, with Shai sitting it out completely, his team was up by 13, a 32-17 run by the defending champions led by Cason Wallace (12), Ajay Mitchel (20), and Jared McCain (18). That is not supposed to happen, but then again, it is how Sam Presti built this Thunder team and why they are so tough to beat. Shai finished with 22 points, and Chet Holmgren added 22 more
On the Lakers’ end, it was not all sunshine and rainbows before or after the crucial third quarter. Nobody can beat this team with 20 turnovers and disorganized defense. The final score of 125-107 does not show the full picture, as LAL fought hard and led multiple times, but they simply do not have it. Of course, missing Luka Doncic is a huge blow, but even with him, it would be difficult for the Lakers’ bench to even come close to what the Thunder has with its 10 player deep rotation. It is the system, not just the players. Austin Reaves led the away team with a playoff career high 31 points while LeBron had 23. Rui Hachimura had 16, and Marcus Smart continued delivering with 14.
Lakers Confront the Referees; JJ Reddic’s Postgame Comments
Perhaps some fines will be coming the way of the Los Angeles team due to what transpired in the aftermath of Game 2. In something fans do not get to see very often, almost the entire team, players, and the coaching staff had a short meeting of sorts right on the court after the final whistle. It was surreal as all three refs talked to the Lakers, led by Reaves, who confronted crew chief John Goble. Reddick was not shy to show his frustrations with how the crew ran the game. In the postgame interview, the LA coach had things to say about the referees:
“I sarcastically said the other day, [OKC is] the most disruptive team without fouling. I mean, they have a few guys that foul on every possession. … They’re hard enough to play. They’re hard enough to play, you’ve got to be able to just call them if they foul, and they do foul.”
It is definitely not the first time he, or anyone else, coach or player, has commented on the officiating of the OKC games. The preferential treatment has been obvious for a while now, led by what SGA does with his supposed, alleged flops and blatant foul baiting that makes the games unwatchable, let alone unplayable.
Reaves said that referee Goble lost his cool: “I felt like I was respectful to all of them all night. I mean, there’s a million times in the past I’ve said way worse stuff, and when we were doing the whole jump ball when [the Thunder players] were switching spots, I wanted to get on the other side because they had a guy on the other side, I was just trying to keep an advantage. And [Goble] turned around and just yelled in my face. I just thought it was disrespectful.”
He continued, saying, “At the end of the day, we’re grown men. And I just didn’t feel like he needed to yell in my face like that. I told him that. I wasn’t disrespectful. I told him that if I did that to him first, I would have got a tech. I feel like the only reason I didn’t get a tech is that he knew he was in the wrong. So, yeah, I just felt disrespected.”
Pistons Seem Too Much for the Cavs
In the Eastern Conference, the No. 1 seed is also taking care of business in its own yard, never giving the visiting Cleveland team a chance. Not that they would have used it, considering how badly they have been performing over the last week. According to many, they should have lost to the Toronto Raptors, who pushed them to an exciting 7 games and nearly beat them in some games they lost. Darko Rajakovic has been marvelous for the lone Canadian NBA team, and we can surely expect them to be even better come 2027. But back to this series.
Just the other night on ESPN, Charles Barkley ripped into James Harden’s playoff performances. Before last night, James had 29 playoff games over his long career, during which he had more turnovers than field goals made. And what does Harden do the very next day in Game 2? He goes on to score 13 points of 3/13 shooting with 4 turnovers in 36+ minutes of playing time, rounding that number nicely to 30. Donovan Mitchel was his usual self with 31 points leading the way, and Jarrett Allen finally decided to join the series with a strong 22 points on 78% FG. Unless Harden steps it up, it will be more of the same, exactly what NBA fans are used to from him come playoff time.
But that was about it, as nobody else came to perform in an important playoff game seriously. Not like the Pistons, at least. Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris led the game again with 25 and 21, respectively, with Cade adding 10 assists and involving his teammates. Jalen Duren was not nearly as good as he could be yet again, with 8 points and 10 rebounds, but he did play crucial defense and disrupted the Cavs’ offensive flow. Once again, a crucial spark off the bench was Dannis Jenkins with 14 points, while Duncan Robinson scored 17 (5/9 3P). Ausar Thompson was tremendous on defense again, true Pistons Bad Boys mentality for the youngster.
NBA Playoff Odds and Predictions
Despite 3 out of 4 series being 2-0 now, each has a clear favorite that both the fans and the bookies are favoring to win without a lot of trouble. Again, this will be one of those rare cases when the second round is easier to overcome than the first, meaning both the Eastern and the Western Conference Finals could bring some of the finest basketball in the last decade. But we are getting ahead of ourselves. Let us see the latest odds and predictions and how the narrative is shaping up now that the lower seeded teams are playing at home.
When the 2026 NBA Champion is in question, it should be no surprise that the OKC Thunder are leading the sweepstakes with 1.59 odds. The San Antonio Spurs are behind them with 5.25, two teams that everyone wants to see meet in the WCF. As for the East, the New York Knicks are third with 8.50 odds, followed by the Detroit Pistons. Similarly, this has been the dream ECF matchup for most fans this year. Other teams are well into the double digits for the championship: the Minnesota Timberwolves at 41.00, the Cavs at 51.00, the Lakers at 66.00, and the Philadelphia 76ers at 101.00.
Jalen Brunson leads the ECF MVP odds with 2.15, followed by Cade Cunningham at 2.80. No surprise, SGA leads in the WCF MVP race with 1.39, followed by Victor Wembanyama with 4.25. Shai also leads the Finals MVP odds with 1.67, while Wemby is behind with 5.50. So, what does the safest bet give you if you place it right now? For a ticket that sees OKC as Champions and SGA winning both MVPs, you are looking at 3,69 odds, a $100 winning you $369. If you add the 1.88 bet that NYK will make it out of the East, that climbs to 6,94 odds, a $100 then winning you $694. Now that is a great payday for something considered the most likely scenario.
OKC Thunder Trivia and FAQs
What was the deepest playoff run in Thunder history before 2025?
Prior to their maiden 2025 title, the Thunder reached the NBA Finals in 2012 behind Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden. They defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals before losing to the Heat Big 3 of LeBron, Wade, and Bosh.
Which Thunder playoff loss is considered one of the franchise’s worst?
In the 2016 Western Conference Finals, OKC stunned the 73 win Golden State Warriors by taking a 3-1 series lead, including a dominant Game 3 win by 28 points. The Warriors came back to win the series, followed by Durant joining them that summer.
Who holds the Thunder record for most playoff triple doubles?
Russell Westbrook owns the franchise playoff triple double record, one of the most explosive postseason guards ever.
What made the Thunder’s home crowd famous during playoff games?
Fans inside Paycom Center became known for creating one of the loudest playoff environments in basketball, especially during the “Thunder Up” era of the 2010s.
Which young Thunder star became the face of the franchise’s new playoff era in the 2020s?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander emerged as OKC’s centerpiece soon after his trade from the LA Clippers. He is helping lead the franchise back into playoff contention after a rapid rebuild built around draft picks and young talent, ultimately winning MVP and Championship honors.
Cleveland Cavaliers Trivia and FAQs
What is the most important playoff series in Cavaliers history?
The 2016 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors is widely considered the franchise’s defining series and the best comeback in NBA history. Cleveland came back from a 3-1 deficit to win its first championship.
Who delivered the iconic chasedown block in the Finals?
LeBron James made “The Block” on Andre Iguodala late in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals, one of the most famous defensive plays in NBA playoff history.
What playoff record did the Cavaliers set during the 2017 postseason?
Cleveland started the 2017 playoffs 12-0, the best postseason start in NBA history at the time, powered by LeBron, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love. They lost to the Warriors in the Finals.
Which arena became synonymous with Cavaliers playoff basketball?
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, formerly Quicken Loans Arena, became famous for massive crowds and dramatic playoff moments throughout Cleveland’s Finals runs.
What unusual streak did the Cavaliers have during LeBron James’ second stint?
From 2015 through 2018, the Cavaliers reached four consecutive NBA Finals, dominating the Eastern Conference during that era. They only won 1, however, losing in 2015, 2017, and 2018, all to the Golden State Warriors.