APTOPIX Thunder Lakers Basketball
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, center, goes up for a dunk as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort, left, and guard Ajay Mitchell watch during the second half of Game 4 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Monday, May 11, 2026, in Los Angeles.
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If LeBron James wants to keep playing professional basketball, the Los Angeles Lakers want it to be with them. General manager Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick affirmed their desire to keep James in a Lakers uniform one day after his eighth season with the club ended with a heartbreaking 115-110 loss and a second-round sweep at the hands of the powerhouse champion Oklahoma City Thunder. The 41-year-old James hasn't decided whether to keep playing. Pelinka also said the Lakers badly want to keep guard Austin Reaves with a big new contract while they build a roster around superstar Luka Doncic.
For the first time since the playoffs started, there was a day without NBA basketball. No games were scheduled for Thursday. It was the league’s first day with no games in a month. The playoffs will resume Friday with two games. Detroit, trying to keep its season alive, will play in Cleveland. And Minnesota, trying to keep its season alive, will play host to San Antonio. The Cavaliers and Spurs hold 3-2 leads in those series. If Game 7s are needed, they would be Sunday in Detroit and San Antonio.
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