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HOUSTON, TEXAS – MARCH 18: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts against the Houston Rockets during the second half at Toyota Center on March 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
The Los Angeles Lakers are set to play the Oklahoma City Thunder in a key Western Conference game on Thursday, April 2.
While the Lakers vs. Thunder game comes as both teams have already clinched a playoff berth, it remains a key contest for both, but especially Los Angeles, as amid their strong month of March, they look to test their true strength against the defending NBA champions.
Before the game, the Lakers’ starting lineup and final injury report for their clash against the Thunder was announced.
Lakers Starting Lineup Vs. Thunder
GettyLOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 14, 2026: Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) react with Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) after Doncic scored the game winning basket in overtime against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena on March 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
In the lead-up to the Thursday night showdown, the Lakers took to social media to announce their starting lineup.
Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Jake LaRavia, LeBron James, and Deandre Ayton all got the starting nod from head coach JJ Redick.
While normally, the Lakers would use a different starting lineup, specific injury concerns have forced Los Angeles to go with this group. They haven’t played this exact starting five recently, but without one of their key players, it’s a lineup they’ll have to go with against the Thunder.
Lakers Injury Report vs. Thunder, Marcus Smart Injury Update
As mentioned, the Lakers will be without one of their key contributors for Thursday, as Marcus Smart has been ruled out of the game with an ankle injury.
Smart was listed as out a day before the game, and while currently listed as day-to-day, no exact return timeline has been determined. The former Defensive Player of the Year hasn’t played in a few games, and while he was previously sidelined with a hip injury, he’ll sit once again against the Thunder.
It was most recently reported by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that Smart hopes to return Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks after participating in a workout Thursday.
Lakers coach JJ Redick says Marcus Smart, who will miss his sixth straight game tonight, participated in an on-court workout today and could play as soon as Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks
“Lakers coach JJ Redick says Marcus Smart, who will miss his sixth straight game tonight, participated in an on-court workout today and could play as soon as Sunday against the Dallas Mavericks,” he wrote on X.
The Lakers also have two-way players Kobe Bufkin, Dalton Knecht, and Adou Thiero listed as out, each currently on G-League assignment.
As for Oklahoma City, the Western Conference’s top team only has Alex Caruso listed on the injury report. While he was questionable with an illness for the Lakers’ game, he has since been ruled out.
Luka Doncic News Emerges Before Lakers Game
Before what might be considered one of the most important games of Los Angeles’ season, it was announced by the NBA that Doncic won the Player of the Month award in the Western Conference for the second month in a row.
He did it by way of averaging 37.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.4 assists on 49.2% shooting while the Lakers went 14-2 when he played, 15-2 overall in March. He also broke Kobe Bryant’s single-month franchise scoring record and joined Michael Jordan as the only the second player in NBA history to score 600 points in March.
At the same time, Doncic furthered his MVP resume, but while he was putting in historic performances on a nightly basis, his odds for the award have subsequently dropped, currently third in the race behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama.
Before the Lakers vs. Thunder game, the Doncic-led squad is currently 50-26 and third in the West, already clinching a spot in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, and set to hold home-court advantage in the first round of the postseason.
Still, the contest against Oklahoma City carries a lot of weight, as while players and Redick have recently expressed the sentiment that they are confident in the team, a win would prove they can compete with the top teams in the Western Conference, and potentially win a few rounds in April, May, and potentially June.
Lakers vs. Thunder tips off at 6:30 pm PST and is streaming live on Amazon Prime Video and Spectrum SportsNet +.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
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