The Los Angeles Lakers dropped their second-round series opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night at Paycom Center. The loss came despite a genuinely encouraging effort from LeBron James, who was everything he needed to be. James finished with 27 points, six assists and four rebounds.

The NBA postseason has reached the semifinals. After a dramatic Sunday featuring two Game 7s, the next round tips off Tuesday. Attention will soon shift to the NBA Draft Lottery and the league’s annual awards.

The fourth-seeded Los Angeles Lakers battle the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal

The Oklahoma City Thunder will open their second-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers without Jalen Williams. Williams was officially listed as out for Game 1 on the NBA’s injury report on May 4.

As 41-year-old LeBron James enters another postseason series as an underdog with the Los Angeles Lakers, his agent Rich Paul is already prepared for current and former players who will pounce if James loses to the reigning champion Thunder.