NBA Playoffs: Live Updates Ahead of Pistons-Cavaliers, Thunder-Lakers Game 2

Cleveland and Los Angeles look to even their Round 2 series with Detroit and Oklahoma City in Thursday’s Game 2 action.

LeBron James played well in Game 1, but it wasn’t nearly enough for the Lakers to compete with the Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals. | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Thursday brings another pair of second-round NBA playoff games, and a pair of teams shooting to avoid going down 2–0 to open their series. First up: the Cavaliers seek to even their series with the Pistons after a competitive Game 1. In the late window, LeBron James and the Lakers will look to bounce back from a rough first game against the Thunder, one that Oklahoma City won decisively despite Los Angeles’s best efforts against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The 7 p.m. ET Eastern Conference game again pits Cade Cunningham, who is having one of the most impressive single playoff runs of the season, against his veteran counterparts Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, each of whom is looking to bolster his shaky postseason legacy. Add in some big contributions from Jalen Duren down the stretch in Game 1, and Detroit is finally starting to perform the way it did in the regular season—which makes Cleveland’s task all the more difficult.

Out West at 9:30 p.m. ET, James is trying to perform another miracle, and keep the Lakers alive until the reinforcements can arrive. L.A. sold out to stop SGA in Game 1, but had no answer for Chet Holmgren, while the Thunder’s depth overwhelmed the Luka Dončić-less squad. Follow along below once Wednesday’s games tip off for live updates and insights from Sports Illustrated’s NBA staff.

Live NBA playoff updates ahead of Pistons vs. Cavaliers, Thunder vs. Lakers Game 2

How we got here in the Pistons-Cavaliers, Thunder-Lakers series

Cade Cunningham has carried the Pistons through the postseason. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

After a comeback series win vs. the Magic, Detroit was locked in for Game 1

The Pistons jumped out to a big lead with a 37–21 first quarter, and while the Cavaliers fought back valiantly, Detroit finished with a 111–101 Game 1 victory.

Cunningham actually had one of his worst games of the playoff run thus far, scoring 23 points on just 6-of-19 shooting, but he was effective in getting to the line (9-for-11) and added seven assists, three rebounds and two assists. That just underscores how incredible he was against the Magic, a series in which he averaged more than 32 points and single-handedly carried his struggling teammates to a seven-game win after going down 3–1.

Harden and Mitchell combined for 55 points and Max Strus kept up his hot shooting from off the bench, knocking down four three-pointers en route to a 19-point outing, but the Cleveland big men did not keep up their end of the bargain. After a huge Game 7 performance against the Raptors, Jarrett Allen battled foul trouble and put up just two points and three rebounds in 18 minutes. Evan Mobley was more effective, with 14 points, nine rebounds and a pair of blocks, but still finished with a team-worst -18 in the game.

LeBron James impressed in Game 1 against the Thunder, but his supporting cast is faltering

The good: LeBron had 27/6/4 while knocking down 12-of-17 shots from the field and a trio of threes. The bad: most of the other Lakers in Game 1.

Rui Hachimura scored 18 points and provided a threat from deep, and DeAndre Ayton had a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double. Fellow starters Marcus Smart and Austin Reaves both struggled, with Reaves scoring just eight points on 16 shots, and the bench managed 15 total points. Luke Kennard, who was so important for L.A. early in their Round 1 win vs. the Rockets, has been quiet, and posted just seven points on 1-of-4 shooting.

Meanwhile, even as the Lakers did about as good a job as you could hope in limiting SGA (18 points on 8-of-15 shooting with seven turnovers), Holmgren was dominant with 24 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. Ajay Mitchell scored 18 points while Jared McCain and Isaiah Joe made big impacts off the bench.

Oklahoma City has a litany of ways to beat you. The Lakers, without Dončić, have few, especially with Reaves struggling since his return from injury.

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