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Biggest Thunder edge against Lakers could be completely nullified in round three

ByZane Gelphman|
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Apr 22, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) reacts after falling to the floor during a play against the Phoenix Suns in the second half during game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Apr 22, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) reacts after falling to the floor during a play against the Phoenix Suns in the second half during game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The OKC Thunder enter the Western Conference Semifinals as overwhelming favorites against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his squad begin the series with a 15.5-point spread in Game 1 on Tuesday night, and he might not even represent the team's greatest mismatch on the floor.

In a recent article, ESPN cited OKC's frontcourt prowess as arguably its biggest edge. The tandem of Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren presents a near-impossible advantage over the likes of DeAndre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes.

Of course, the two big men will have to enjoy these assignments while they can, for the fun will almost certainly end come next round.

Assuming OKC takes care of business against the Lakers, a date with either the Minnesota Timberwolves or the San Antonio Spurs awaits, both of whom provide heavyweight matchups down low.

Thunder bigs must enjoy domination while it lasts

The Wolves, already winners of Game 1 of the Western Semis, boast the duo of Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert and have arguably the league's best backup center, Naz Reid, waiting in the wings.

Randle struggled for the majority of the regular season series against the Thunder, but he flashed his ceiling in March when he popped off for 32 points on just 18 shots.

Gobert, meanwhile, dominated the glass, registering at least 11 boards in three of the four games. Reid added double-digit points in three of the four contests and logged a combined four blocks.

As a result, Minnesota split the season series, and they appear to be peaking at the exact right time.

The Spurs have long been considered OKC's biggest threat to their second-straight title. Unicorn center Victor Wembanyama spearheads the operation. He took over games at times against the Thunder during the regular season and is surrounded by a plethora of scoring options if coach Mark Daigneault's squad chooses to focus its defensive attention on him.

The French phenom is coming off a triple-double against the Wolves in Game 1... with 12 blocks.

Future matchups for Thunder are ripe with interior challenges

Looking past the Western Conference Finals, interior matchups don't appear to lighten up among Eastern Conference contenders.

Headlined by Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns, OKC bigs look like they will have excruciating assignments the rest of the way.

Even Detroit's Jalen Duren and the tandem of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley in Cleveland present unique challenges that will require some schematic maneuvering on coach Daigneault's end.

Hopefully, OKC can use the series against the Lakers to take care of business and rest before round three, because the conference finals and beyond look to be an uphill battle for the Thunder frontcourt.

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