Los Angeles @ Oklahoma City preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 19, 2019 ) Oklahoma City 107, L.A. Lakers 112

LeBron James is racking up triple-doubles and looks to record his sixth in the past 11 games when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. James recorded 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 112-107 home win over the Thunder on Tuesday in the first of a back-to-back between the teams.

James owns 86 career triple-doubles and has dominated as a passer this season with power forward Anthony Davis on board to help with the scoring load. "He's just playing terrific basketball," Lakers coach Frank Vogel told reporters. "For him to be doing what he's doing in his 17th year is just nothing short of remarkable. There's no reason to believe he can't sustain that for the rest of the season and help us make a real strong playoff push." Oklahoma City dropped four of its last five games but coach Billy Donovan was encouraged that his club played close games on back-to-back nights in Los Angeles, losing 90-88 to the Clippers 24 hours before the setback against the Lakers. "We came up short in all these games," Donovan told reporters. "I think the one sign you can point to is both teams, the Clippers and the Lakers, are really, really good teams, so we're competing well at a high level. But we've just got to do more in order to be able to finish and close out games."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles), FS Oklahoma

ABOUT THE LAKERS (12-2): Los Angeles has won five straight games as it begins a four-game road trip and James will look to reach double digits in assists for the seventh straight game and 12th time this season. Davis scored 34 points for his third 30-point effort of the campaign and he was impressed to hear that James has recorded at least one triple-double against every team in the league after turning the trick on Tuesday. "Amazing," Davis told reporters. "To be able to do that against every team is something special. I mean, (it's) trippy that he's been playing for a long time, so it was a matter of time before it happened, but just a tribute to all his hard work."

ABOUT THE THUNDER (5-9): Guard Dennis Schroder scored a season-high 31 points on 12-of-20 shooting in Tuesday's contest and he has topped 20 points four times this season. Forward Danilo Gallinari also stood out with 25 points but Oklahoma City was unable to land a victory despite holding the Lakers to 19 fourth-quarter points. "If we compete every night and play at a high level, we can play with anybody in this league," guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 16 points, told reporters. "It's just about us figuring it out down the stretch."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Lakers are 6-13 when playing the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

2. Oklahoma City PG Chris Paul had just four points on 1-of-7 shooting on Tuesday but did record a season-best 10 assists and matched his season high of four steals.

3. Los Angeles F Kyle Kuzma (eye) is probable after departing Tuesday's game in the second quarter.

PREDICTION: Lakers 113, Thunder 107