Lakers show why they're a threat to Thunder's championship aspirations

To make matters worse for Oklahoma City, Lakers point guard Luka Doncic was also cooking. He scored 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting, grabbed seven rebounds and tallied six assists.

Meanwhile, Lakers small forward LeBron James and shooting guard Austin Reaves combined for 39 points.

With the win over Oklahoma City (64-14), the Lakers (48-30) have now won four of their last five games and moved into third in the Western Conference. If the playoffs started Sunday, they would host the Minnesota Timberwolves (46-32) in the first round.

The Thunder have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, but the Lakers could still pull off an upset if they meet in the postseason. 

L.A. shot 36.1% from beyond the arc in its first 77 games, so it probably couldn't continue to bank on its three-point shooting in a seven-game series vs. the Thunder. But the Lakers could rely on Doncic, a proven playoff performer. 

Last postseason, Doncic — whom the Lakers acquired in a trade with Dallas in February — carried the Mavericks to the NBA Finals, averaging 28.9 PPG in 22 games. 

The Lakers have split their first two games against the Thunder. However, Doncic was still with the Mavericks in their first matchup on Nov. 29. 

The Thunder host the Lakers again on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. The game could truly determine whether L.A. is a legitimate threat to the Western Conference's top team.