Oklahoma City, May 5, 2026, 15:04 (CDT)
- Luka Dončić remains out as the Lakers open their Western Conference semifinal against the top-seeded Thunder.
- Gavin McKenna sits at the center of Tuesday night’s NHL draft lottery discussion.
- Arch Manning’s 2027 NFL Draft stock drew fresh attention from CBS Sports and 247Sports.
The Los Angeles Lakers open their Western Conference semifinal at Oklahoma City on Tuesday without Luka Dončić, putting LeBron James into a hard early test against the NBA’s top seed and a Thunder team that controlled the regular-season matchup. The Lakers listed Dončić out for Game 1 because of a left hamstring strain, Reuters reported.
The timing matters because this is not just a first game. Oklahoma City went 64-18, swept Phoenix in the first round and beat the Lakers four times in the regular season, while Los Angeles is trying to stretch a playoff run without its leading scorer.
Game 1 is set for 8:30 p.m. ET at Paycom Center, with Game 2 in Oklahoma City on Thursday before the series shifts to Los Angeles. The NBA lists the Thunder as the No. 1 seed in the West and the Lakers as the No. 4 seed.
That was the frame of a 247Sports/CBS Sports video posted Tuesday, in which analysts Ashley Nicole Moss and Brad Botkin asked whether Oklahoma City’s regular-season dominance over the Lakers would carry into the series. Their question was blunt enough: can James beat a young, deep Thunder team if Dončić cannot play?
The edge is not theoretical. NBA.com wrote that Oklahoma City swept the season series by an average of 29.3 points, the largest same-conference regular-season point differential between two teams in 2025-26. It also noted that James, Dončić and Austin Reaves played together against the Thunder only once.
The night has another prize fight, just not on a court. The NHL draft lottery — the weighted draw that sets the top of the draft order for teams that missed the playoffs — will be held Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET, with Penn State forward Gavin McKenna and Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg viewed by NHL.com as the likely top rewards.
The Vancouver Canucks have the best odds at 18.5%, followed by the Chicago Blackhawks at 13.5% and the New York Rangers at 11.5%. NHL president of content and events Steve Mayer said the live-ball format makes the event “more transparent and dramatic,” a small change that matters when one pick can reset a franchise. NHL
McKenna is the name drawing the heavier U.S. attention. 247Sports posted a video Tuesday with host Jenny Dell and analyst Nate Thompson breaking down why McKenna is viewed as the likely No. 1 pick, and NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr told NHL.com that McKenna has “exceptional hockey sense” and the talent to influence games at every level. 247Sports
Football’s longer-range draft market also moved back into view. A separate 247Sports video Tuesday had analyst Mike Renner discussing Arch Manning’s traits and 2027 NFL Draft stock with Chris Hassel, keeping the Texas quarterback in a conversation that will run well beyond spring practice.
Renner’s CBS Sports ranking, published Tuesday, placed Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith first among 2027 offensive prospects and Manning second. Renner wrote that if Manning sustains or improves on his late-2025 form, he would be the “strong favorite” to go No. 1 overall. CBS Sports
There is a betting-market layer, too, though it is early and thin. Reuters reported last week that DraftKings had Manning as the early favorite to be the No. 1 pick in 2027 at +250, ahead of Oregon quarterback Dante Moore at +380 and Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr at +650.
The risk in all three stories is the same: Tuesday’s labels may not hold. Regular-season scores do not decide playoff series, lottery balls can ignore the standings, and a quarterback’s draft standing can change fast once another college season starts. For now, the night belongs to Thunder-Lakers, the McKenna lottery, and the first real push of the 2027 Manning cycle.
