After sizzling March, Lakers face playoff test against OKC
The tests came one after the other in March for the Lakers and they responded with the same resounding answer: We are ready.
Yet even though the Lakers went 15-2 last month, even though they beat some of the NBA’s best teams, they still have another big test on the horizon that will further show whether they are ready.
The Lakers will meet the reigning NBA champion Thunder in Oklahoma City on Thursday night, and it will be the test of all tests as OKC is as hot as Los Angeles and has the best record in the NBA.
The Thunder have their own unstoppable force in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, last season’s most valuable player who is on track to win it again this season, just as the Lakers have their own unstoppable force in Luka Doncic, another MVP candidate this season.
Los Angeles, CA – March 31: Lakers head coach JJ Redick coaches the team as the Lakers defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 127-113 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. The Lakers clinched a playoff spot before their victory over Cleveland. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Oklahoma City produced a 14-1 record in March. The Thunder have a league-best 60-16 record.
So for the Lakers, Thursday will be an indicator of the best the league has to offer.
“Yeah, 100%. I mean, I feel like we’ve been in a few playoff games here recently,” Lakers forward Jake LaRavia said. “It’s obviously going to be another, you know, best team in the West. So it’s going to be a good test for us going into the playoffs. And, yeah, it’s going to be the same thing. We’ve got to be physical. We’ve got to play defense collectively. We’ll just have to play together as a team.”
The Lakers finished March with a victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers and have won 13 of their last 14 games.
They had impressive wins against New York, Minnesota, Denver, in Houston twice, in Miami and in Orlando in March.
Now they get the Thunder.
“Obviously, they’re the defending champions,” Lakers guard Austin Reaves said. “They’re playing at a high level. Obviously, they’re one of the best teams in the league, if not the best team, and we have an opportunity to go to OKC and play them.”
The Thunder have one of the best defenses in the NBA. OKC holds teams to 107.6 points per game, second-best in the league, and 43.5 percent shooting, best in the NBA.
Oklahoma City ranks fifth in the NBA in scoring (118.6) and fifth in shooting percentage (48.2).
So yes, the Lakers will have their hands full.
“They’re great on both sides of the ball,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “They’re going to make you work for things defensively because of their physicality. And then, they do a great job driving. You really have to do your best to keep them out of the paint, you have to do your best to be square to the ball. … They’re really, really good at what they do. And they’ve been doing it now for five years. And they know all the nuances. They know all the tricks. They all know the timing of everything. They’re just a tough team to guard.”
The ultimate Lakers teammate
Lakers guard Marcus Smart looks to pass after tracking down a loose ball under pressure from Kings guard Russell Westbrook at Crypto.com Arena on March 1.
(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers all view Marcus Smart as the ultimate teammate, a selfless member of their group, and a true leader the team can rely on for his willingness to compete on both sides of the basketball.
Smart and Deandre Ayton sit next to each other in the Lakers locker room and that’s been a good thing for Ayton, who relies on Smart for his wisdom and advice.
And even though Smart missed his fifth straight game Tuesday night against the Cavaliers with a bruised right ankle, Ayton and the Lakers still felt his presence.
“Yeah, I think there’s a built-in level of respect and, in a way, acceptance in Marcus because of how hard he competes and how much he gives every time he steps on the floor,” Redick said. “It’s a simple way to build trust with your teammates — …to play as hard as you can every night and do it with competitive enthusiasm. And that’s what Smart does.
“I think that for [Ayton,] he’s just been a very calming voice for him throughout the year. …Marcus was there, throughout the half, in a group, on the field. …It’s really allowed DA to be more consistent as we get closer to the end of the season.
Smart was recognized for being a great teammate.
The NBA announced Tuesday that Smart was one of 12 finalists for the 2025-26 Twyman-Strokes Teammate of the Year Award. This is an honor that recognizes the player considered the best teammate based on his unselfish play, his leadership on and off the court as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and his commitment and dedication to his team.
“He’s like a brother’s guard,” said Ayton, who had 18 points and nine rebounds against the Cavaliers. “He sees everything, like [LeBron James] And [Austin Reaves] and Luke [Doncic]. But he will definitely talk about it. It reminds me a little [former Suns teammate] Jae Crowder, that guy who will always be the one to say the right thing at the right time. Just our enforcer, our pit bull and he sets the tone, really, and we all follow. He threw a punch, we’re all going to punch him. You got 1,000 shots, you know what I’m saying? It’s Marcus.
