Thunder vs. Lakers NBA Playoffs Game 2 over 210.5 pick and prediction

We now have three nights for the NBA Playoffs, two games per night. A similar story played out on almost all nights. On Monday, we saw the Knicks beat the 76ers and the Timberwolves barely beat the Spurs. On Tuesday, the Pistons won a closer game against the Cavs, while the Thunder defeated the Lakers. Last night the Knicks barely escaped the 76ers and the Spurs beat the Timberwolves. Will we experience a repeat of a close game and blowout in the election on Thursday?

If there is going to be an explosion, it will be the Los Angeles Lakers getting smoked again. In Game 1, the Lakers were tied with the Thunder in the first half of the game. It looked like it was going to be quite competitive, considering Los Angeles entered the locker room at halftime trailing by just eight points. The problem was that all of the Lakers’ goals came in the first half. They scored only 37 of 90 points in the second half. The team collectively shot 41% from the floor, 33% from deep and 77% from the charity stripe.

They need to change their strategy a bit in this game. I guess the easy thing is to say Austin Reaves needs to be better. He played 36 minutes and scored just eight points on 3-for-16 shooting. Part of that is the Thunder’s defensive prowess, but a big part of that is that he’s rusty from missing time. He’s also probably not fully healed. It would also be beneficial for them to get contribution from the bench. The team combined for just 15 bench points. Thunder’s Jared McCain scored 12 points alone.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dribbles in the second half against the Washington Wizards at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on October 30, 2025. (Alonzo Adams/Imagn Images)

Oklahoma City Thunder is on its way to the championship. To be honest, I would be shocked if they lose more than three games this season. They have to suffer a serious injury to lose. How good are they? They won all five games in the playoffs, but they don’t even have their second-best player. Sure, the Lakers lost their best player, but they only played one game. The biggest question with the Thunder isn’t whether they can win, but whether anyone can scare them.

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Game 1 wasn’t even the Thunder’s best effort. Sure, their defense was strong in holding the Lakers to 90 points, but the offense wasn’t that sharp. They still collected 108 points. But they also had a long rest period between matches, so I think we will see their offense improve in this match. They swept the Suns on April 27. The Lakers had to play on April 29 and May 1.

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers gestures during the pregame ritual before the first quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on April 24, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored just 18 points in Game 1, marking the first time he failed to reach 20 points since Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals last season. He scored 40 points in the next game. The books expect him to be furious again tonight with a 29.5 total. I think it exceeds the total. I expect the Lakers to be more aggressive and better offensively. This would be a fallout play for me though.

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My official rating is to get over 210.5 for the game. There really isn’t much offense to speak of in Los Angeles, but if they can get to 100 points or even 95 points, I think the Thunder will take over from there. I would expect Gilgeous-Alexander to have a better game, and that depends on the overall trend. Give me over 210.5.

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