LeBron James defied all odds again.
In the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs, King James led a Luka Dončić-less Los Angeles Lakers to a surprising six-game series win over the Houston Rockets.
Over the course of the series, the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer averaged 23.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game. After closing out, he told NBA on ESPN correspondents “the mission has always stayed the same throughout my career and that’s to go out there and try to dominate.”
Next up, King James and co. will attempt to dominate once again against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s No. 1 seeded, defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
Since they don’t have home court advantage this time around, their three hypothetical games at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena are scheduled to take place:
Game 3
Saturday, May 9
5:30 p.m. PT
Game 4
Monday, May 11
7:30 p.m. PT
Game 6
Saturday, May 16
TBD
If you’d like to be there, last-minute tickets are available for each and every contest in LA.
At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on tickets for any one game at the Crypto.com Arena was $250 including fees on SeatGeek.
Prices start at $146 including fees for games at Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center.
While pricey, don’t underestimate just how much you can help the Lakers at home.
Over the course of the 2025-26 regular season, the Thunder beat Los Angeles in all four of their meetings and won by an average of 29.3 points (!) per game.
According to NBA.com, that should come with a disclaimer because “LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves played in the same game just once and were minus-16 in 17.9 minutes.”
Sources told The California Post that “Dončić is expected to miss the first two games of the Western Conference semifinal series in Oklahoma.”
Will he be back for Games 3 and 4?
While we can’t say for certain, we do know the best way to find out is live.
For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 2026 Western Conference Semifinals series below.
Lakers playoff home game ticket prices
A complete calendar including all announced Lakers home game dates and the best prices on tickets can be found here:
| Lakers home game dates | Ticket prices start at |
|---|---|
| Game 3 Saturday, May 9 | $292 (fees included) |
| Game 4 Monday, May 11 | $250 (fees included) |
| Game 6 Saturday, May 16 | $300 (fees included) |
Thunder playoff home game ticket prices
All Thunder playoff home game dates and the cheapest tickets available can be found below.
| Thunder home game dates | Ticket prices start at |
|---|---|
| Game 1 Tuesday, May 5 | $146 (fees included) |
| Game 2 Thursday, May 7 | $168 (fees included) |
| Game 5 Wednesday, May 13 | $205 (fees included) |
| Game 7 Monday, May 18 | $323 (fees included) |
How to watch the Lakers and Thunder on TV
Fans hoping to catch LeBron and co. on the tube can watch all first-round playoff games on ABC, ESPN, TNT, Prime Video, NBC and NBA TV.
Just make sure to review your local listings before tuning in.
If you don’t have cable, your best bet may be DIRECTV.
2026 NBA playoff schedule
Been meaning to see how the postseason has shaken out thus far?
Check out the NBA’s 2026 playoff bracket here.
Huge 2026 concerts
Looking for entertainment outside of the NBA playoffs?
We’ve got you covered.
Here are just five huge artists you won’t want to miss live these next few months.
• J. Cole
• Gorillaz
• BTS
• RUSH
Want to see who else is on the road? Check out this list of all the events coming to the Crypto.com Arena to find the show for you.
This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
