All eyes will be on Oklahoma City on Sunday afternoon.

Since acquiring Luka Doncic at the trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers have looked like quite a threat in the Western Conference.

However, they’ll be able to really prove such on Sunday and Tuesday as they are in the 405 for a baseball-style series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Through 77 contests, the Thunder has a superb 64-13 record. While they won’t be the third team in NBA history to win 70 games — which comes after a recent loss to the Houston Rockets — they are still among the title favorites this season.

Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has a remarkable MVP case this season, the Thunder have already secured the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference as they’re now shifting to preparing entirely for the playoffs.

The Lakers, on the other hand, not only need to prove that they are threats in the West, but also need to play to fight to keep the No. 3 seed in the conference.

Feb 7, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) defends against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) in the second quarter at Crypto.com Arena.

© Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Lakers make LeBron James announcement

LeBron James is coming off a recent groin injury, which has left him listed as probable in the matchup.

While he has been listed as probable prior to recent games, he typically ends up active, which is the case against the Thunder. The Lakers announced James is good to go and will be leading the way on Sunday afternoon.

Still, the Thunder enter the matchup as a 9.5-point favorite — just another sign of how dominant they have been this season.

The two-game series will prove to be crucial for Los Angeles, for a couple of reasons, whereas the Thunder just need to maintain form and try and stay healthy.