According to Haslem, there are teams like the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets who pose a bigger challenge to the Thunder right now. UD says the main reason the Lakers have climbed so high in the West team standings is due to injuries and the schedule that allowed the Lakers to sneak into the second seed.

The Lakers are are not deep enough to compete with OKC Thunder or the Denver Nuggets, reckons Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady.

Without top defender Luguentz Dort (right upper trap strain) and All-NBA guard Jalen Williams (right wrist), Oklahoma City still held the Lakers to just 37.5% from the field through three quarters while extending the lead to 36 points. The Lakers entered the game with the NBA’s highest shooting percentage at 51.2%.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are not only the first team to 20 victories, they also lead the NBA in net rating (12.7).

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder will host Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Derik Queen may not have led New Orleans to victory, but he ably went toe-to-toe with Nikola Jokić, often made him look silly on defense and finished with 30 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks in just 30 minutes.

The Los Angeles Lakers play the second leg of a home back-to-back Monday night with Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns coming to town for Pacific Division showdown.

It’s the Thunder vs. Lakers tonight in Oklahoma City. Here’s how to watch the NBA game, including time, TV channel and streaming info.