There is a version of this series that exists only in the imagination of Lakers fans who watched LeBron James dismantle Houston through six games and convinced themselves lightning might strike twice. It is not an unreasonable thing to hope for. James at 41 remains one of the more remarkable athletic realities in professional sports, and JJ Redick proved in Round 1 that he is a willing and capable chess player when the moment calls for it. But the Thunder are not the Rockets. Oklahoma City spent April eliminating Phoenix in four games without breaking a sweat, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaging over 33 points on 55 percent shooting. The Thunder's defense held the Suns to an offensive rating lower than the regular-season Brooklyn Nets managed all year. They did this while nursing Jalen Williams through a hamstring issue that limited his availability, and they barely noticed. The regular-season history between these two teams reads like a warning label.…