Lakers' JJ Redick Explains Necessary Adjustment for Thunder Series

The Los Angeles Lakers have the odds stacked against them as they enter their second-round playoff series against the No. 1 seed, reigning NBA-champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder, led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, have a high-powered offense capable of scoring in bunches. And in order to slow these scoring bursts, Lakers head coach JJ Redick plans to take a different approach with his available timeouts.

“They’re really good at runs,” Redick said during Monday’s practice. “"I’ve got to be more diligent than I normally am. I like my timeouts, I like going into the fourth quarter with four timeouts, I like having two in the last 30 seconds. I don’t think you have the luxury [against the Thunder].”

“The games get away from you so quick because of how explosive they are when they go on their runs, and they do that to everybody.”

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The Thunder swept the Phoenix Suns in the first round, winning all but Game 4 with a double-digit margin of victory. Gilgeous-Alexander continued his stellar play into the postseason, averaging 33.8 points and 8 assists per game in the first round.

The Lakers began their 2026 postseason with three consecutive wins over the Houston Rockets before notching back-to-back losses in Game 4 and Game 5. Led by 41-year-old All-Star LeBron James, Los Angeles took care of business on the road with a closeout victory in Game 6.

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Game 1 between the Lakers and Thunder will tipoff at 8:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

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This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 4:16 PM.