Overview
- The Lakers, who tip off Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET at Paycom Center, named Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Jake LaRavia, LeBron James and Deandre Ayton as starters for a game streaming on Prime Video and airing locally on Spectrum SportsNet.
- Marcus Smart will miss his sixth straight game with a right ankle contusion, and coach JJ Redick said he could return as soon as Sunday against Dallas, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
- Oklahoma City enters largely healthy, and Alex Caruso was ruled out with an illness after being listed as questionable earlier in the day, with the rest of the core rotation available.
- The NBA highlighted that Dončić, James and Reaves are on pace to become the first trio to each average at least 20 points and 5 assists for a season, and Dončić was named Western Conference Player of the Month for March after leading a 15–2 month.
- Previews flag a key matchup inside as Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein press a Lakers paint defense that has leaked points, in what pundits frame as a needed test for a team that is 1–5 against the West’s top two seeds.