NBA playoff takeaways: Lakers have no answer for Thunder and their antics

In NBA playoff action on May 9, the Los Angeles Lakers (No. 4 seed) faced the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder (No. 1 seed) in Game 3 of their conference semifinal series, with the Lakers looking to avoid falling into a 0-3 deficit. Also on the same night, the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers played host to the No. 1 Detroit Pistons in Game 3 of their series, with the Cavaliers successfully avoiding the 0-3 hole. The Lakers struggled to find answers against the Thunder, highlighting Oklahoma City's dominance as defending champions.