Category: NBA

In a season defined by their resiliency, the Lakers ended the year in a fitting manner.

With their backs firmly against the wall, the team responded with its stiffest punch. LA knocked OKC back on its heels in the third quarter for the first time this series, then went toe-to-toe with them in the fourth.

Even if the final score amounted to the same result as the preceding three contests, the Lakers could head home knowing they went out giving it all they had. Moral victories mean nothing in the playoffs, but LA can have plenty of pride in how its season ended.

So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

LeBron James

40 minutes, 24 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 4 turnovers, 1 foul, 8-18 FG, 2-6 3PT, 6-8 FT, -17

The schedule certainly seemed to catch up to LeBron as the series played on, but it still was an impactful showing in Game 4. He was still able to get to the rim, though finishing there was a different story, as evidenced by his final shot of the game — and as a Laker? — late in the game.

He also had a really untimely turnover late after a rebound. But considering what was asked of him at 41 years old? He held up as well as you could hope.

Grade: A-

Rui Hachimura

43 minutes, 25 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 5 fouls, 9-15 FG, 4-8 3PT, 3-3 FT, -2

More than one Laker had the game of their life with Rui at the top of that list. He capped off a truly incredible postseason run with the biggest game of his career. No shot was more important than his four-point play with under two minutes to go, but every basket he had felt huge.

Grade: A+

Deandre Ayton

21 minutes, 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 fouls, 3-3 FG, -2

It was a nightmare series for Ayton, who ended it on a sour note. Whatever hopes this team had for him as a center of the future disappeared in this series. He was thoroughly outplayed nearly every second he squared off with Chet Holmgren or Isaiah Hartenstein.

His player option means he’ll hold the cards at first as to whether he’s a Laker next year, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a one-and-done partnership.

Grade: D

Austin Reaves

43 minutes, 27 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, 8 turnovers, 5 fouls, 8-16 FG, 3-7 3PT, 8-9 FT, -6

Without question, the eight turnovers and five fouls were bad. And yet, there’s an argument to be made that this was both his best game of the series and, subsequently, the best game of his career, given the context.

Fresh off an injury that ruled him out for a month, Reaves returned to play the best team in basketball in a role he wasn’t in when he went down, a nearly impossible task. He carried the Lakers offensively throughout the contest in his Luka-lite role and did so about as well as you could reasonably ask.

And if his final three fell, there’d have been no question this was his best game ever.

Grade: A

Marcus Smart

36 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 6 turnovers, 5 fouls, 2-8 FG, 0-4 3PT, 1-1 FT, +5

It wasn’t a great Smart game. He turned the ball over six times and committed five fouls. And when your starting backcourt has 14 turnovers and 10 fouls, you’re not going to win many games.

But he made just enough of the little plays to make him valuable, then made one really big play with his late and-one layup.

Grade: B+

Luke Kennard

24 minutes, 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 foul, 2-5 FG, 1-2 3PT, +15

A relatively quiet night for Kennard, who returned back to his regular form in the playoffs after a strong Game 3. He had a nice reverse layup when the Lakers were rolling, but he also was being picked on relentlessly by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander when they shared the floor.

It would have been nice if the Lakers could have gone to someone else in those minutes, but, alas.

Grade: C+

Jaxson Hayes

27 minutes, 18 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, 6-8 FG, 6-6 FT, -1

The last Laker to have the game of his life was Jaxson Hayes, who was possessed by some otherworldly spirit in this one. He had multiple huge poster slams and a huge, momentum-shifting block of Ajay Mitchell. Considering he’s spent the vast, vast majority of his Lakers tenure being unplayable in postseason games, this was a welcome, and shocking, surprise.

Grade: A+

Jarred Vanderbilt, Adou Thiero, Maxi Kleber

With 10 functioning fingers, Vando was borderline unplayable this series. In 2:45 on Monday, he was a -12. Thiero was given another chance in Game 4, but two of his offensive possessions included him cutting down the lane in front of a teammate and airballing a 3-pointer, so that, too, was short-lived.

Kleber only came in to set a screen late to help Austin get a good look at the game-tying shot.

JJ Redick

It’s hard to believe the same guy who played five guys in the second half of a playoff game is the one who had the Lakers battling the defending champions to the wire on Monday. Against a team with clearly more talent and depth, Redick schemed the team into a position to win on both ends of the floor.

If there’s any takeaway from these playoffs, it’s that Redick’s errors of last year can be written off as rookie blunders.

Grade: A

Monday’s DNPs: Bronny James, Dalton Knecht, Jake LaRavia, Nick Smith Jr.

Monday’s inactives: Luka Dončić

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

The San Antonio Spurs did what they needed to do in Minnesota. The Spurs reclaimed home-court advantage with a win in Game Three. After losing a winnable Game Four, 114-109, the Spurs will head back to San Antonio to defend their home court and re-take a series lead.

Game Five will be one of intrigue for several reasons. Chief among them is the return of Victor Wembanyama, who was ejected from Game Four after earning a Flagrant 2 foul for elbowing Naz Reid in the neck. Wembanyama avoided d a fine and a suspension, which has drawn some ire from national media talking heads. Now, an already physical series will be played under a microscope, with both teams motivated to beat up on each other, and the officials watching even more closely for extracurricular contact.

What this game and series will ultimately come down to is the performance of each team’s star player. Anthony Edwards has been nothing short of incredible playing on two bum knees, but still scoring 36 points in Game Four. Wembanyama dominated Games Two and Three, and will certainly be looking to bounce back from a regrettable moment in Game Five. Whichever one can out-duel the other may leave San Antonio with a 3-2 advantage.

San Antonio Spurs (2-2) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (2-2)

May 12th, 2026 | 7:00 PM CT

Watch: NBC / Peacock | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spurs Injuries: De’Aaron Fox – Questionable (ankle)

Timberwolves Injuries: Donte DiVincenzo – Out (achilles)

What to watch for:

Physicality and foul calls

Despite what most people would say online, the winner of a basketball game is not determined by the referees. That said, they will have a crucial role to play in Game Five. Both sides will come after each other physically, and both will complain when they don’t get the foul calls they think they deserve. Wembanyama’s elbow has escalated the stakes of the physical play in this series. Both teams have been enforcing their will on the other. Whether it be the Spurs’ aggressive point-of-attack defense and tough drives to the rim, or the Wolves’ swarming help defense and dominance on the offensive glass. Whatever team can play physical enough without getting into foul trouble will have a distinct advantage.

Securing the boards

In Game Four, the Spurs allowed the Wolves to grab 15 offensive rebounds for the second game in a row. Granted, they didn’t have their best rebounder in Wembanyama for three-quarters of the game. A lot of the rebounds they are giving up would be out of Wembanyama’s control anyway. Minnesota is grabbing long rebounds off misses or scooping up 50/50 balls while the Spurs are busy blocking out bigger rebounders like Rudy Gobert. San Antonio has to negate the Wolves’ advantage on the glass to reclaim a lead in this series.

Three-point shooting

San Antonio has struggled to shoot from three in both of their losses this series. In Game One, they shot 28% from deep, and they hit just 23% of their deep shots in Game Four. Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie have to knock down every wide-open three-pointer they have. If not, they are handing over free possessions to Minnesota. De’Aaron Fox’s shooting has gone cold for most of the series. His offense is of the utmost importance heading into the final games of the series. Fox is questionable for Game Five after sustaining an ankle injury in Game Four. The Spurs will need him and the rest of their shooters to warm up to take down the Wolves at home.

LOS ANGELES — Finality came for the Los Angeles Lakers with a season-ending loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Then in the air hung the possibility of a much bigger ending.

Potentially the end of LeBron James’ tenure with the Lakers, if not the end of his illustrious NBA career.

“I don’t know what the future holds for me obviously as it stands right now,’’ James said after the Lakers lost to the Thunder, 115-110, at Crypto.com Arena on Monday, May 11 in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals and got swept in the series.

“It’s obviously still fresh with us losing. I don’t know," James added. "...I think I said last year after we lost to Minnesota that I’ll go back and recalibrate with my family and talk to them, spend some time with them. And when the time comes, obviously, you guys will know what I decide to do.”

If it was the end for the 41-year-old James, he went out in inspired fashion. He had 24 points and 12 rebounds and helped rally the Lakers, who fell behind by as much as 12 points in the second half.

But he also missed a short floater with 20 seconds left with the Lakers trailing 111-110.

It was touch of heartbreak during a celebrated career for James, who completed his eighth season with the Lakers and his 23rd season overall.

James, when asked if he still loves basketball, said, "The love of the game is always there. I don’t think that every goes away."

More important, he said, is the process, which involves getting to the arena 5½ hours before the game.

"... the process for me has always been so much more important," James said. "For me, if I fell out of the love with the process, I’d probably fall out of love with the game."

He has won four NBA titles, the last coming with the Lakers in 2020. He also is the league’s all-time leading scorer.

“I left everything I could out on the floor,” James said. “I controlled what I could control and I can leave the floor saying, even though I hate losing, I was locked in on what we needed to do. I tried to make sure our guys were locked in on what we needed to do throughout the postseason and obviously we fell a little short. But I’m not looking at my year as a disappointment, that’s for damn sure.”

His role became more limited as Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves emerged as the team’s scoring leaders. But when Doncic and Reaves suffered injuries late in the season, it was James who led the Lakers past the Houston Rockets in the first-round playoff series.

JJ Redick, when asked about LeBron possibly ending his career, said, “I haven’t even thought about that yet. We’ll deal with that the offseason.’’

Reaves made it clear he hopes he’ll have a chance to play with James again.

“Man, it would mean the world to me,’’ Reaves said. “I don’t know anything different."

With eight seconds left, Reaves missed a 3-pointer that would have tied the game. After that miss, Reaves said James was walking behind him and said, “Helluva shot.’’

Luke Kennard, who joined the Lakers midseason, said of James, “He doesn’t take the game for granted. He loves basketball, he loves the process.’’

In fact, his love for basketball and that James continues to play at a high level has fueled speculation he’ll continue to play, whether it’s in Los Angeles or in another NBA city.

Doncic called Reaves and James “two great players’’ and said “it was really fun to share the court with them.

Will he help recruit James to return to the Lakers?

“We’ll see,’’ Doncic said. “I can’t tell you nothing.’’

With that, Doncic grinned.

Contributing: Lorenzo Reyes, Andres Soto

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LeBron James left the door wide open after Lakers loss to Thunder

With their season on the line, the Lakers played with the necessary desperation to try to extend it one more game.

Even after it looked like the third quarter was headed down a familiar path, LA righted the ship and actually won that quarter. The result was a fourth quarter worthy of a playoff game with back-and-forth momentum swings and huge shots from either side.

But even with all that extra fight, the end result was the same, with the Thunder making more plays and coming away victorious to sweep LA out of the playoffs.

It’s a tough ending to the series, considering how hard the Lakers fought throughout. But it’s also a just ending as the Thunder were clearly the better team in the series.

With that being said, let’s dive into the three takeaways from the loss…

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Going out on their sword

There were two ways this game could have played out.

The Lakers could have looked like the Sixers on Sunday as they lay down and let the Knicks batter them at home in an embarrassing loss or they could put up the fight they did. It’s apropos that they went down fighting given it’s the trait this team has had all season.

So many times this season, the Lakers were dealt a challenge — often in the way of an untimely injury to a star — and were forced to adapt and keep fighting. The postseason was no different. The final scores often didn’t show how close the purple and gold were to the Thunder this series.

But Monday’s Game 4 will not be forgotten because of a humiliating blowout, but instead will be remembered as a team going out on its sword.

Rui and Austin step up

The Lakers were going to need big contributions from multiple players if they were going to finally nab a win in this series and both Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura did all they could to make that possible.

Austin’s night was a mixed bag at times. He did turn the ball over eight times. But given the ask of him and the focus the defense had on him, it was his best game of the series. He finished with 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists and carried the Lakers’ offense throughout the night. If nothing else, playing 43 minutes in a game of this intensity so soon after returning from injury was impressive.

Rui’s night, meanwhile, was not mixed at all. In a postseason where he already was turning heads, Rui had the game of his life, finishing with 25 points on 9-15 shooting from the field. But, as has been the case, it was his 3-point shooting that was most important, none bigger than his late four-point play with 1:41 left that trimmed a six-point deficit down to just two.

RUI 4-POINT PLAY!

LAKERS LEAD BY 1 WITH 40.9 TO PLAY IN GAME 4 ON PRIME 🍿 pic.twitter.com/Ez4FyhVTPB

— NBA (@NBA) May 12, 2026

Both players are set for free agency. Both earned big paydays with their play either this season and in the playoffs. And, hopefully, both are Lakers again next season.

The crowd did their part

I was critical of the Lakers crowd earlier these playoffs when it felt like they didn’t do their part in a closeout game. And if there was ever a reason for them not to bring the energy, it was on a night when the team was on the brink of being swept.

Instead, it was the best crowd of the postseason for the Lakers. Is it a coincidence that multiple Twitter/X accounts pointed out how cheap the tickets were, meaning actual fans of the team could afford to attend? Probably not!

Whatever the reason or rationale, the crowd was as lively as they’ve been and played a huge role in spurring the team on to its most impressive performance of the series.

Hats off to them.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

With the draft lottery out of the way and the selection order set, intrigue about the 2026 NBA Draft is rising.

Cameron Boozer is going to go early, and just how early depends on priorities. But he almost certainly won’t fall below Chicago at #4.

Apparently, there are rumors suggesting that the Bulls might take Darius Acuff, but Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times says don’t buy it: “Problem is there are talking heads in Chicago that don’t know ball, selling themselves on Acuff at No. 4. Ignore them. Talking puppets.

“I love Acuff … and if the Bulls were picking #5, I’m in. But this is a big man’s league. Steph and Zeke the only small guards to win rings … and you have to build an exact team around that. Boozer or Caleb (Wilson) … no brainers.”

That assumes that Boozer falls past Memphis, and we’ve seen some pretty convincing arguments for the Grizzlies. That said, they might finish their research and decide that Wilson is the better fit.

By the way, Isaiah Evans may be moving up a bit himself. At least one mock draft has him moving up from going to Dallas with #30 to the Lakers at #25.

As we always say about mock drafts, it’s all ridiculous, but it’s less ridiculous after the order is set by the lottery.

The other thing which we think is absolutely true for any rookie is that it’s better to go to a well-managed franchise than one that is poorly run.

Take the Washington Wizards, for example.

We don’t know much about the current ownership group, but the Wizards/Bullets have struggled for decades. Maybe the current group is better, but they’ll have to prove it.

On the other hand, Memphis seems to be building intelligently, and Boozer along with Zach Edey and Cedric Coward, would be a credible frontline.

That could work out well for Evans, too. If he falls to Dallas at #30, the Mavs have overhauled their front office, and it looks impressive. But if he ends up with the Lakers, JJ Redick is proving to be a good coach, and he would be a great mentor for Evans. It could be a win-win either way.

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After an incredible NBA lottery, the Utah Jazz are sitting pretty at the #2 spot in the NBA Draft. That means they will have a chance to choose from the top tier of the draft with their pick. The NBA Combine is now happening, and it officially kicks off draft season. The measurements become vital for teams at the top of the draft and can help shape the most important decision each team will make. Here are the measurements of the main prospects the Utah Jazz will be looking at. Oh, and just a reminder, the height is measured without shoes. But since basketball is played with shoes on, you typically want to have an inch or so added when you’re thinking about the different prospects.

AJ Dybantsa

Height: 6’8.5”

Weight: 217

Wingspan: 7’0.75”

Standing Reach: 8’8”

Dybantsa comes out with solid numbers that confirm great size with his 6’8.5” height minus shoes. His wingspan is really good at the +4 differential. That said, this doesn’t raise any real red flags or give teams interested in the potential #1 pick any reason to question taking him. Dybantsa brings the measurements of a prototypical wing creator that teams dream of building their team around.

Darryn Peterson

Height: 6’4.5”

Weight: 199

Wingspan: 6’9.75”

Standing Reach: 8’7”

Peterson’s measurements are also unsurprising and great for a shooting guard. With shoes, Peterson will be about 6’6” and also brings a fantastic wingspan ratio at +5. The biggest question for Peterson will come from his medicals. If Peterson checks out clean, he makes a big case for the #1 pick in this draft. Dybantsa gets an edge on Peterson with his size, which gives him a fantastic ceiling, but Peterson should get the edge in pure skill. His scoring ability is the best in the draft, and we’ll see if the Washington Wizards make a surprise pick come draft night.

Cam Boozer

Height: 6’8.25”

Weight: 253

Wingspan: 7’1.5”

Standing Reach: 9’.0”

Boozer ends up with height just a hair shorter than AJ Dybantsa, but he brings a slightly longer wingspan and standing reach, which is great. Boozer combines a high level of skill and IQ that comes with fantastic functional strength. Boozer comes into the draft with one of the highest floors but could also be considered to have the lowest ceiling among the top prospects. The question for Boozer will be whether he can be the hub of an NBA offense or more of an off-ball player. It will be fascinating to see just how effective he can be. His production in college was fantastic, but does that translate to the NBA, or was he more of a bruiser that overpowered inferior college talent?

Caleb Wilson

Height: 6’9.25”

Weight: 211

Wingspan: 7’0.25”

Standing Reach: 9’0”

The numbers for Wilson are a little disappointing and could put him at #4 to Chicago if the Grizzlies are torn between Wilson and Boozer. He’s surprisingly light at 211, and I expected a longer wingspan than just 7’0.25”. What this does is lock Wilson into the 3/4 mold, although that’s not a change for teams that have followed him closely. Wilson does have fantastic athleticism, which could potentially help him go higher.

Before the Lakers successfully ended their first round playoff series against the Rockets, coach JJ Redick explained what makes close out games so challenging.

“You have to kill them,” Redick said. “It’s difficult to kill someone. Survival instincts say, ‘I want to stay alive.’ So, you got to be able to kill them. That’s what [it takes].”

The Lakers’ sense of urgency in Monday’s Game 4 against the Thunder at Crypto.com Arena, with their season on the line, showed exactly why that’s the case.

But in the end, the Thunder killed the Lakers’ 2025-26 season, with the Lakers falling to the Thunder, 115-110, in Game 4 to be eliminated from the playoffs.

“When the season ends there’s always a whirlwind of emotions,” Redick said. “I am certainly feeling a sense of gratitude for our players, the Lakers, and our fan base. You’ve seen these 3-0 games before; I thought there were two different times during the game where our team could have gave in or let go of the rope. We didn’t.”

Each fourth-quarter bucket from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell were deep gashes into the Lakers’ chest.

The Lakers kept responding, not letting anything take away from their fight, getting big plays from everyone on the floor late. 

But there were too many daggers to recover from.

The Lakers didn’t score in the final 30 seconds. And the Thunder got dunks from Chet Holmgren and pairs of free throws from Gilgeous-Alexander and Mitchell to close out Game 4.

Austin Reaves (27 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists), Rui Hachimura (25 points), LeBron James (24 points, 12 rebounds) and Jaxson Hayes (18 points, 5 rebounds) all came up big late.

But the Thunder still delivered. And were simply better for the entire series.

“They’re really f—–g good,” Reaves said.

Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 35 points and eight assists.

Mitchell added 28 points on 12-of-19 shooting, while Holmgren added 16 points and nine rebounds.

What it means

The Lakers’ season ended with a four-game sweep to the defending champions — just the fourth time in James’ career his team has been swept in the playoffs. 

The other times: 2007 NBA Finals against the Spurs, 2018 Finals against the Warriors and the 2023 Western Conference finals to the Nuggets.

The Thunder will face either the Spurs or Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals.

Turning point 

When Jared McCain hit a 3-pointer to cut the Lakers’ lead from 89-84 to three with 8:24 left in the fourth. 

It provided a screeching halt to the Lakers’ momentum that they carried over from the third quarter, which they won 39-31.

MVP: Gilgeous-Alexander

The reigning league MVP saved his best game for the end of the series. 

Gilgeous-Alexander shot 11-for-22 from the field and 12-for-15 on free throws.

He and Mitchell combined for 19 of the Thunder’s 35 points in the fourth quarter.

Stat of the game: 19

Taking care of the ball was an emphasis entering the series.

The Lakers once again failed to do that, turning the ball over 19 times. Reaves had a team-worst eight turnovers, while Marcus Smart had six.

The Thunder scored 22 points off of the Lakers’ giveaways. 

Up next

Exit interviews for the Lakers, with Redick and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka speaking with reporters on Tuesday morning.

All Lakers coach JJ Redick asked of his group was to “win the day.”

That day had to be Monday night, the only day that mattered for a Lakers team on the brink of elimination.

The Lakers came close, but they did not win the day, losing Game 4 115-110 to the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers’ season is over, having been swept 4-0 in the Western Conference semifinal series.

Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 27 points, Rui Hachimura had 25 points and LeBron James had 24 points and 12 rebounds.

Read more:Plaschke: For the sake of their future, Lakers should bid farewell to LeBron James

When the game was over, James hugged several of the Thunder players.

James is in the final year of a contract that paid him $52 million this season, and at 41 and in his 23rd season, the conversations now turn to his future.

Will James retire? Will James return to the Lakers? Will James play for another team?

Those are the big questions going forward.

With 40.9 seconds left in the game, Marcus Smart scored, was fouled and made the free throw for a 110-109 Lakers lead.

But Chet Holmgren scored on a dunk for a 111-110 Thunder lead with 32.8 seconds left.

The Lakers called a timeout to set up a play.

James missed a floater just outside the lane and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished with 35 points and eight assists, was fouled with 12.2 seconds left. He made both free throws for a 113-100 Thunder lead.

The Lakers called another timeout to set up another play with their season on the line.

Reaves missed a potential game-tying three-pointer and Alex Caruso got the rebound, leading to a timeout for the Thunder with 7.6 seconds remaining.

Ajay Mitchell was fouled after the inbounds pass and made two free throws for a 115-110 lead that stood.

Earlier in the fourth quarter, Jared McCain drilled a three-pointer to tie the score at 92-92.

Then James threw a pass away that bounced off two Thunder defenders and Reaves, with the officials ruling it was still the Lakers' possession. The call was challenged by the Thunder. The official review determined that the ball went off Reaves, giving the Thunder the ball with six minutes and 35 seconds left.

Mitchell scored, was fouled by Smart and made the free throw for a three-point play and a 95-92 Thunder lead.

For the first time in this series, the Lakers won the third quarter, outscoring the Thunder 39-31 to open an 84-80 lead heading into the fourth.

Jaxson Hayes punctuated the third with a two-handed dunk, bringing the crowd out of their seats.

The Lakers sizzled in the third quarter, shooting 76.5% from the field and 71.4% from three-point range.

Hachimura was on fire in the third quarter, scoring 12 points on four-for-six shooting.

Reaves had a strong first quarter, scoring eight points on three-for-three shooting, two for two on three-pointers.

With James adding six points and six rebounds, the Lakers opened a 26-21 lead after the first quarter.

But the Thunder hit the Lakers with a 17-0 run to open a 12-point lead in the second quarter.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

LeBron James is unsure about returning for a 24th NBA season after Lakers' exit originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

LeBron James says he has no idea whether his 24-point performance in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ season-ending playoff loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night was the final game of his NBA career.

The top scorer in league history stuck to the strategy he has taken into the past several summers when he declined to announce his future immediately after the Lakers’ final postseason defeat.

He hasn’t ruled out retirement or a return to the Lakers, and he said nothing about the possibility of moving to another team as he contemplates an unprecedented 24th NBA season.

“I don’t know what the future holds for me, obviously, as it stands right now tonight,” the 41-year-old James said. “I’ve got a lot of time now. I think I said it last year after we lost to Minnesota. I’ll go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them and spend some time with them, and then obviously when the time comes, you guys will know what I decide to do.”

James’ record 23rd season ended with a heartbreaking 115-110 loss, completing a four-game sweep of the short-handed Lakers by the defending NBA champions. Los Angeles began the playoffs without NBA scoring champ Luka Doncic and second-leading scorer Austin Reaves due to injury, yet James led the Lakers to a first-round upset of Houston before running into the league’s best team in the second round.

“It’s amazing what he’s doing out there at this age,” Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s very impressive. It’s hard to put it to words. He’s not very old in the grand scheme of life, but for the NBA, he’s pretty old, and he doesn’t seem like it out there. He was a force. He was the top of the scouting report all series. His size gave us issues at times. He was impressive out there. I’m not sure we’ll see anything like that again, his longevity and his greatness.”

James has played in more games, won more games, scored more points and taken more shots than everybody else who ever put on a uniform, but he has never put a limit on his time in the game.

Instead, he repeated his oft-stated declarations that he’ll figure it out with his family over a few glasses of wine in the next couple of months.

“Nobody has any idea what the future holds, and I don’t either,” James said. “I’ll take time to recalibrate and look over the season and see what’s best for my future, and when I get to that point, everyone will know.”

James showed only marginal signs of age’s encroachment in his 23rd season, continuing to play versatile basketball at an elite level throughout the Lakers’ successful regular season.

Injuries forced his largest compromises: He missed training camp and the first 14 games of the season with sciatica, and he missed eight additional games during the regular season, eliminating him from consideration for inclusion on the All-NBA teams for the 22nd consecutive time.

With Doncic winning the NBA scoring title and Reaves emerging as a legitimate top-level NBA scorer, James willingly assumed a supporting role as the No. 3 option in the Lakers’ offense — and it worked.

His 20.9 points per game were his fewest since his rookie season, largely because his 3-point shooting accuracy declined to 31.7%, and his 33.2 minutes per game were his fewest ever. Yet he contributed 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds with another season of steady performances — and when the Lakers needed him to step up, he did it repeatedly.

“It was so many different seasons in one season with our ballclub,” James said. “Obviously injuries played a big part in it, but as far as our identity, I thought it was super-resilient.”

James was chosen for the All-Star Game for the 22nd time, and right before the midseason break, he became the oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double. He surpassed Robert Parish’s record for the most regular-season games played in late March.

The Lakers picked up steam down the stretch in the regular season, winning 16 of 18 heading into April and kindling hope of being a dark-horse candidate to give trouble to the Thunder or Spurs in the playoffs. But that’s when Doncic and Reaves both incurred major injuries, sidelining both indefinitely.

James handled the disappointment by stepping up and coolly taking charge of the Lakers’ offense again. While nearly every NBA observer wrote off Los Angeles’ chances of any playoff run, James and his supporting cast improbably knocked off the fifth-seeded Houston Rockets in six games in the first round, sending the Lakers into the second round for only the second time since 2020.

“For our group to have the moment that we had when Luka goes down with the hamstring and AR goes down with the oblique and we’re staring down the barrel of a playoff series with Houston, I thought our guys responded and were just super-resilient,” James said. “To win that series was big-time for the group that went out there.”

James’ reasons to prolong his career in Los Angeles would be multifold.

He has spent the past two seasons playing alongside Bronny James, his oldest son and a backup guard for the Lakers. They even got significant playoff minutes together this season, allowing LeBron to live another dream.

His family loves living in Southern California — and while his sons are both out of the family home, he has spoken frequently of his desire to watch the progress of his 11-year-old daughter, Zhuri, a competitive volleyball player.

And the Lakers’ outstanding play down the stretch suggested they could be among the NBA’s best teams with full health for Doncic, James and Reaves — who is expected to sign a massive contract to stay with the Lakers this summer.

Whether the Lakers can actually contend for a championship next season will be one factor that James must weigh, but finding a true title contender to join at this stage of his career would be difficult even if the Thunder and the rising San Antonio Spurs didn’t appear to be head and shoulders above the rest of the league.

For now, James will take time off to enjoy life away from the daily grind that has allowed his career to reach unprecedented lengths — and if he decides not to come back, he doesn’t appear to have regrets about how this season ended.”

“I left everything I could on the floor,” James said. “I control what I can control, and I can leave the floor saying even though I hate losing, I was locked in on what we needed to do.”

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell tied an NBA playoff record with 39 points in the second half and the Cleveland Cavaliers evened their second-round series against the Detroit Pistons with a 112-103 victory Monday night.

Mitchell matched the mark of Eric “Sleepy” Floyd on a free throw with 27.6 seconds remaining. He had a chance to break the record, set in 1987 against the Los Angeles Lakers, but missed his second foul shot.

Mitchell finished with 43 points, including 15 during Cleveland’s 24-0 run that went from the last 12 seconds of the first half to the first six minutes of the third quarter. Cleveland trailed 56-52 at halftime before taking control.

The 24-0 run was the longest in an NBA playoff game since since Minnesota also scored 24 straight in Game 6 of its Western Conference semifinal series against Denver in 2024. It was also the longest spurt by Cleveland in a postseason game since play-by-play stats were kept in 1997-98. The previous high was 19 in an Eastern semifinal series contest against Boston.

James Harden had his 40th playoff double-double with 24 points and 11 assists. Evan Mobley had 17 points, five blocked shots and three steals as Cleveland remained unbeaten at home in six playoff games.

Caris LeVert had a season high 24 points for Detroit. Cade Cunningham scored 19, the first time he has been held under 20 in 11 playoff games this season, and Tobias Harris added 16.

Game 5 is Wednesday night in Detroit.

THUNDER 115, LAKERS 110

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points, Chet Holmgren made a tiebreaking dunk with 32.8 seconds to play, and Oklahoma City swept Los Angeles out of the second round of the NBA playoffs with a victory in Game 4.

Ajay Mitchell scored 10 of his 28 points in the frantic final period as the Thunder overcame the Lakers’ tenacious effort and improved to 8-0 in the playoffs with their toughest victory of the postseason.

LeBron James had 24 points and 14 rebounds in the final game of the unprecedented 23rd season for the top scorer in NBA history, but he missed a driving bank shot with 20 seconds left that would have put the Lakers ahead.

The 41-year-old James has repeatedly said he hasn’t decided whether to play next season, so there was no ceremony or momentousness around this game. Instead, the Lakers desperately tried to extend their year, only to lose to Oklahoma City for the eighth time this season.

Austin Reaves scored 27 points before missing a tying 3-point attempt with eight seconds left for the Lakers, who advanced one round farther than almost anybody expected after losing NBA scoring champion Luka Doncic and Reaves to significant injuries a month ago.

If this is indeed it for LeBron James, give him credit for one thing: he was unprecedented, even until the very end.

The Oklahoma City Thunder unceremoniously swept James’ Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, May 11 in the conference semifinal round in what might be the final game of James’ storied 23-year career. James has not revealed his future plans, but will turn 42 in December and has been more vulnerable recently about how basketball is affecting his body.

James also has nothing more to prove.

What he did this year had never been seen before. Not only did he start all 60 games he played during the regular season (adding 10 more in the postseason), he rewrote the standard for what’s possible for players 40 and older.

In the 46 games he played after turning 41 on Dec. 30, he averaged 21.1 points, 7.3 assists and 6.4 rebounds per contest. Compare that scoring figure with the next closest player, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who averaged just 10.5 points per game after his 41^st birthday.

Take this postseason: even though the Lakers fell well short of their objectives, they were missing All-Star Luka Dončić. And for much of L.A.’s first-round series against the Rockets, Austin Reaves was out, too.

That meant that the Lakers' hopes instantly fell squarely on James, who responded by averaging 23.2 points in the playoffs. Simply put: there has been no other player in history to be so consistently reliable this this stage of a career.

Even in Monday night’s Game 4 loss, James chiseled away to a steady 24 points on 8-of-18 shooting, adding 12 rebounds and 3 assists.

Frankly, that claim could be stretched to his entire career.

James has been available throughout his playing days at a near absurd level. Not only has he avoided major injury, his 61,030 regular season minutes are an all-time record and come out to 42.4 days.

He also entered Monday night with 12,405 playoff minutes, another all-time record.

FAN WEIGH IN: What to make of LeBron's tenure with Lakers

Forget the discussions about where James ranks compared with Jordan or Kobe or Kareem or Wilt because those conversations tend to be reductive and difficult to quantify.

What’s undeniable is that James has been the premier player of this generation — a 22-time All-Star and four-time Most Valuable Player who won four championships with three different teams. If this was his last game, he was an ambassador of the sport and he elevated the play of his teammates. He outworked his competition and stayed in peak physical condition. He stayed out of controversy and enriched the communities in which he played.

James did have his detractors, as all great players do. But if this was in fact his last game, appreciate the production and longevity. Appreciate the commitment to the sport. Because like Jordan, like Kobe, like Kareem and like Wilt, there will never be another LeBron James.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Reflecting on LeBron James' career after what might be his final game

On the brink of elimination, the Lakers went down swinging.

LA overcame its second-half woes and took OKC all the way to the final minute before losing late, 115-110, as the Thunder completed the sweep.

In the most hotly-contested game of the series, the two teams battled throughout the fourth quarter. The Lakers had the lead late on a Marcus Smart and-one layup, but the Thunder responded with the next five points to win the game.

Deandre Ayton started things offensively for LA with a tip-in layup off a missed shot by LeBron James. Lu Dort and Ajay Mitchell responded with a combined five points immediately after.

Rui Hachimura started cooking for Los Angeles with four points.

At the 6:42 mark, the Lakers were down by six. 

The Lakers surged with nine straight points to jump into the lead. Austin Reaves was now the leading scorer for LA with five points. Smart was the only starter who had yet to score. 

Los Angeles ended the first well with Reaves and LeBron combining for five points, helping give the team a five-point lead.

For the first time in this series, the Lakers have won the first quarter. They are up 26-21 over the Thunder. Austin Reaves is off to a great start. He has 8 points on perfect shooting.

— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) May 12, 2026

Alex Caruso opened the second period with back-to-back evil 3-pointers. Mitchell then converted on a layup, which forced the Lakers to call an early timeout as they saw their lead vanish. Out of the break, Caruso finally missed a triple. Unfortunately, LA was also missing shots.

The Thunder were up by five with 9:50 left.

Oklahoma City’s scoring run extended to 17-0 as Los Angeles tried to score, but couldn’t figure out any consistency with their offense. LeBron stopped some of the bleeding with two free throws. 

Jaxson Hayes ended the field goal drought by converting on a layup. The Lakers responded well, making it a four-point game at halftime, despite their shooting struggles. 

The Thunder lead the Lakers 49-45. LA went over half the second quarter without a field goal, which is how a five-point advantage has turned into a four-point deficit. The Lakers need a comeback in the second half to extend their season.

— Edwin Garcia (@ECreates88) May 12, 2026

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander converted on a midrange jumper to open the third period. Hachimura had the hot hand early for LA with seven points in the quarter. Mitchell had eight in the quarter already for the Thunder.

Cason Wallace drilled a triple that forced Los Angeles to call a timeout after yet another OKC run had the Lakers down 12.

Reaves now had six of LA’s 12 overall turnovers. Out of the break, LeBron converted on one of two free throws. Hachimura also knocked down a big-time 3-pointer. 

SGA was the only OKC player scoring; he was up to 23 for the night. LeBron drained two massive 3-pointers that helped keep Los Angeles within striking distance.

The purple and gold were down by five with 4:04 left in the quarter. 

LA went on a massive 14-5 run that turned the game in their favor. They added to that run to take the lead by one with 3:08 left.

Both teams then took turns leading. Hayes’ four points at the end of the third helped give Los Angeles a lead of four going into the fourth.

This was the first time in the series that they beat OKC in the third. 

Jaxson Hayes has provided a huge lift off the bench, with 16 points now on 5 of 6 FG's and 6 of 6 FT's.

His put-back with 0.6 to play in the 3rd Q gave the Lakers an 84-80 lead.

It's a 16-point turnaround from OKC's 66-54 lead at the 7:35 mark of the 3rd (a 30-14 push).

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) May 12, 2026

LeBron split a pair of free throws to open the scoring in the final frame. Jared McCain converted on a layup on the other end for Oklahoma City. Despite two from Mitchell, LeBron scored four points, helping keep LA in the lead by five. 

Out of a break, McC ain drained a triple.

Reaves launched a ridiculous 3-pointer over Caruso that kept Los Angeles up by five. SGA nailed two free throws that cut into the deficit for the Thunder. McCain knocked down yet another three that tied the game with 6:34 left. 

OKC went up by three after Mitchell completed a three-point play. Hachimura responded with his signature midrange shot on the other end. A back-and-forth battle was taking place over the final five minutes.

The teams took turns leading by one until a triple from SGA put the Thunder up four with 3:47 left. At the 2:13 mark, Oklahoma City was up by six. With 1:41 left, Hachimura completed a wild four-point play to make it a two-point game.

Smart was then fouled and completed a three-point play that put the Lakers up by one with 40 seconds left, capping off a 7-0 run. Chet Holmgren dunked on the next possession and put Oklahoma City up one with 32.8 seconds left. 

LeBron missed a floater with roughly 20 seconds left and, on the other end, SGA was fouled and converted on both free throws, giving the Thunder a three-point lead with 12.2 seconds left. 

Reaves had a nice look at a 3-pointer and unfortunately missed. With 7.6 seconds left, Mitchell was fouled and converted on both free throws, sealing the win for OKC.

Key Player Stats

LeBron finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Reaves added 27 points with seven rebounds and six assists. Hayes had 18 points off the bench.

Hachimura scored 25  points on 9-15 shooting. Ayton logged six points. Kennard pitched in with five points.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

As the Los Angeles Lakers were facing a possible sweep at the hands of Western Conference No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder, one face in the crowd couldn't be happier to see it all unfold.

Dillon Brooks, the Phoenix Suns wing, enforcer, villain and LeBron James pest, was spotted sitting courtside at Crypto.com Arena with a smile on his face as the Lakers entered halftime trailing 49-45. The 30-year-old, fresh off getting swept against the Thunder in the first round, apparently couldn't help but get out to LA to watch his nemesis possibly meet the same fate in the second round.

Nah man Dillon Brooks a REAL VILLAIN

Bro showed up to Game 4 just to hatewatch LeBron I’M IN TEARS 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/noAnFRa7pS

— Hater Report (@HaterReport) May 12, 2026

Brooks and James have a history dating back to the first round of the 2023 playoffs, when he openly taunted the NBA's all-time leading scorer as the two exchanged verbal jabs in the media and got into a confrontation during Game 3, with Brooks later taking jabs at James' age.

"I don't care. He's old. You know what I mean?" Brooks, then with the Memphis Grizzlies, told reporters at the time. "I was waiting for that. I was expecting him to do that [in] Game 4, Game 5. He wanted to say something when I got my fourth foul. He should have been saying that earlier on. But I poke bears. I don't respect no one until they come and give me 40."

After the Lakers took that series in six games, James took to Instagram.

"If you ever see me fighting in the forest with a Grizzly bear," James wrote in his caption. "HELP THE BEAR."

The two were at it again this past December, when Brooks told reporters that James "likes people that bow down. I don't bow down."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dillon Brooks sits courtside at Laker playoff game to spite LeBron