Thunder Host Lakers in Playoff Game 1

The Oklahoma City Thunder, the defending NBA champions and top seed in the Western Conference, host the fourth-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET at Paycom Center. Reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the Thunder against 41-year-old LeBron James, who carried the Lakers through the first round without injured star Luka Doncic.

The Thunder advanced with a first-round sweep of the Phoenix Suns, forcing 16 turnovers per game while Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 33.8 points and eight assists on 55.1 percent shooting. He scored a playoff career-high 42 points on 15-of-18 shooting in Game 3. Chet Holmgren contributed 17 points and two blocks per game, with Isaiah Hartenstein grabbing 4.5 offensive rebounds. The Thunder posted the league's best regular-season record at 64-18 and won all four meetings against the Lakers by an average margin of 29 points.

The Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets in six games despite missing Doncic, who suffered a left hamstring strain a month ago during a game in Oklahoma City. James averaged 23.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 8.3 assists in the series, including 28 points, seven...