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The Oklahoma City Thunder will host the LA Lakers at the Paycom Center on the second night of a back-to-back on October 27th in the 2021-22 NBA.
With the LA Lakers coming off a 125-121 OT win against the San Antonio Spurs, they have momentum heading into this game. The Oklahoma City Thunder, meanwhile, recorded their fourth consecutive loss of the season.
The Thunder will look to snap their losing streak when they take on the 17-time champions on Wednesday.
LA Lakers Injury Report
The LA Lakers started off their season shorthanded. With many veterans in their lineup, injuries could be one of the main obstacles in the Lakers' quest to win the title. With injuries to key rotation players, the Lakers saw more additions to their injured list ahead of the Spurs game.
LeBron James missed the game against the San Antonio Spurs due to ankle soreness. While the player has been listed as day-to-day, injuries to the team's superstars could prove costly. Another potential addition to the list could be Anthony Davis, whose status will be a game-time decision on Wednesday.
With the LA Lakers looking to ensure their pieces click as a unit, their injury woes continue to haunt them this season.
Oklahoma City Thunder Injury Report
The Oklahoma City Thunder do not have any injuries to report ahead of their game against the LA Lakers. Although Derrick Favors was given the night off against the Warriors, he is expected back for this game.
As one of the few older veterans in the lineup, Favors being given a rest day makes sense. The Thunder will hope their roster remains healthy for the better part of the season.
With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returning from a major injury last season, the young Thunder star is expected to carry a huge offensive load for the team this season.
LA Lakers vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Predicted Lineups
LA Lakers
Coming off another win early in the season, the LA Lakers seem to have settled into a rhythm as a unit. Although there are still some issues in their rotations that need to be worked out, the overall morale of the team is high.
Russell Westbrook resembled his past self after a dominant 33-point performance. Westbrook and Davis combined for 68 points as the Lakers pulled off an OT win. However, Anthony Davis' knee injury may see him sidelined for this game on Wednesday night.
In that scenario, the Lakers may see Carmelo Anthony step into Davis's spot. Should LeBron James also be given the night off to ensure his recovery, the Lakers will be severely shorthanded on the superstar front.
In that case, there could be more minutes from Carmelo Anthony, Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard to make up for the key absences.
Oklahoma City Thunder
With no injuries to report on their roster, the Oklahoma City Thunder squad will head into this game, hoping to win for the first time this season.
They have a talented backcourt of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey. But the frontcourt of Luguentz Dort, Darius Bazley and Derrick Favors doesn't offer much to bolster the team's odds. While Bazley has shown some upside as a scorer, there is a lot of room for growth.
The development of Josh Giddey will be a long-term project. Dort continues to hold his own as a physical defender. He has also developed a semi-reliable three-point shot, as he shot 34.3% last season. However, he has struggled to find his shooting range this campaign.
The Thunder have some talented pieces coming off the bench in Mike Muscala, Kenrich Williams and Aleksej Pokusevski. But overall, bench rotation of the Thunder has little to offer.
LA Lakers vs Oklahoma City Thunder: Predicted Starting 5s
LA Lakers
G - Russell Westbrook | G - Malik Monk | F - Kent Bazemore | F - Anthony Davis | F - DeAndre Jordan.
Oklahoma City Thunder
G - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | G - Josh Giddey | F - Luguentz Dort | F - Darius Bazley | C - Derrick Favors.
Also Check Out: Complete NBA TV Schedule for 2021-22 Season
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