OKC Thunder react to Lakers 2026 NBA playoffs Round 2 matchup

On the Lakers: "I thought they were the better team in that series. That's what the series score would indicate. They threw the first punch in the series. Then they showed great mental toughness to have those two games not go their way, and then to go on the road and close the series out. Takes a lot of toughness to do that. When a team advances, you're going to come off of your last series with a level of confidence because we just won a playoff series. We know we're going to be going against a confident team that has momentum coming into the series."

On LeBron James: "Obviously, the endurance and the level of play. It's one thing to play deep into your career. It's another thing to play a level that he's been able to play at. Obviously, the series speaks for itself this past series, but the last couple of seasons. It's just amazing what he's doing, physically, mentally, emotionally. In there, he had a lot of short offseasons. We just went through for the first time. He's done that however many times in his career. We have nothing but respect for him. He's an incredible player. Obviously one of the greatest of all time, but he's still playing elite level."

On Doncic's injury: "It’d be best for everybody if everybody was available all the time. That'd be the best product for the fans, best for me, best for the teams, best for the players. It's obviously not realistic. We go into every series preparing for every possibility."

On JJ Redick: "I first got to know him when he was doing TV, because they'll do production meetings. So I've had sit-downs with him. I've enjoyed my time with him. I have kept in light contact with him since he got the job. But I think he's done an exceptional job in, obviously, a high-profile market, with a high-profile team. He's just put his head down and put his team in positions of advantage on both ends of the floor. He's done a great job navigating a lot of different situations. And I have high respect for his coaching."

Chet Holmgren

On the Lakers: "Just understanding they’re a very talented team, but they’re also very well-coached and put together in the way they play. They have somebody with a lot of experience on that end of the floor. Kinda seen these situations. Knows how to attack them. He's going to lead his guys that way. We just have to prepare and they're going to do the same."

On James: "First of all, it’s very impressive. Growing up, I used to play at Life Time a lot. There were a lot of 41-year-olds who weren’t moving too well. I think that's extremely impressive. Not only the physical ability, but also just the mentality and being focused and locked in for that long period of time. I think it's impressive. So credit to him for that. But this is about us figuring out how the Thunder can beat the Lakers."

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: OKC Thunder react to Lakers 2026 NBA playoffs Round 2 matchup