The Oklahoma City Thunder practiced on May 2, 2026, after learning they will face the Los Angeles Lakers in Round 2 of the NBA playoffs. They completed a 4-0 sweep of the Phoenix Suns and will host Game 1 on May 5.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder practiced on Saturday. After a four-day wait, they finally learned their Round 2 opponent in the 2026 NBA playoffs. They will face the Los Angeles Lakers. After going up 3-0 on the Houston Rockets, they closed things out with a Game 6 win.
The Thunder will host the Lakers for Game 1 on Tuesday, May 5. It'll be eight days between games after they completed another Round 1 sweep with a Game 4 win over the Phoenix Suns.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault and Chet Holmgren talked to the media after practice. Both addressed their matchup against the Lakers for the first time since it became official.
Here's what else happened at OKC's Saturday, May 2 practice:
Thunder practice today. Preparing for the Lakers pic.twitter.com/H3ueDYg1g8
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) May 2, 2026
SGA at practice today. Will face the Lakers on Tuesday for Game 1 pic.twitter.com/Bkhwd5O7IT
The Oklahoma City Thunder will face the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2026 NBA playoffs.
Game 1 of the Thunder vs Lakers playoff series is scheduled for Tuesday, May 5, 2026.
The Thunder completed a 4-0 sweep of the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs.
Coach Mark Daigneault addressed the matchup against the Lakers during a media session after practice on May 2.
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— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) May 2, 2026
Mark Daigneault on Jalen Williams: “He’s chipping away at his rehab. He’s doing a good job.” pic.twitter.com/BEp8Vv3CYm
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) May 2, 2026
Mark Daigneault on LeBron James: “It’s incredible. 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.” pic.twitter.com/enijW6mWsB
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) May 2, 2026
Mark Daigneault on the Lakers beating the Rockets: “I thought they were the better team in that series. That's what the series score would indicate.” pic.twitter.com/RXSHr2VFS7
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) May 2, 2026
Mark Daigneault on Luka Doncic: “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… pic.twitter.com/IiC0AqjoaJ
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) May 2, 2026
Mark Daigneault on Austin Reaves: “They're adding an extremely high usage player that's great at drawing fouls, really savvy shooter at all three levels. He's just a very crafty, skilled player and someone that they can play through.” pic.twitter.com/zbibzB8Nlx
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) May 2, 2026
Mark Daigneault on JJ Redick: “I first got to know him when he was doing TV because of production meetings. I've had sit downs with him and enjoyed my time with him. Have kept in light contact with him since he was given the job. I think he's done an exceptional job in a… pic.twitter.com/3WcOtTO02r
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) May 2, 2026
Chet Holmgren on the Lakers: “Just understanding they’re a very talented team but they’re also very well coached and put together.” pic.twitter.com/N8UoB6GVdx
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) May 2, 2026
Chet Holmgren on LeBron 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 that weren’t moving too well.” pic.twitter.com/UPpUnrZXLE
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) May 2, 2026
Chet Holmgren on the Thunder staying in touch with the old Thunder guys: “I think it’s amazing. I think it speaks to the culture of those guys. Serge still coming back after however many years since he left here.” pic.twitter.com/DYluDCTfV6
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) May 2, 2026
Chet Holmgren on Serge Ibaka’s cooking: “I tried the soup. I thought it was pretty good. I’m just not putting a chicken foot in my mouth.” pic.twitter.com/wLkz9wzwGl
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) May 2, 2026
Che Holmgren on facing a rich-history team like the Lakers: “The beautiful thing about this league is that it has a lot of history. But at the end of the day, whether they’re wearing purple or pink, it’s not going to affect how we approach it.” pic.twitter.com/pjQayAq2Sp
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) May 2, 2026
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Recap: What happened at OKC Thunder's Saturday, May 2 practice