Thunder vs. Lakers Tuesday NBA odds, props: LeBron James 36 points away from all-time scoring mark, set at 32.5 points tonight

Tickets for Tuesday's Oklahoma City at Los Angeles Lakers game were going for an astronomical amount on the open market when it looked as if it would be the game in which LeBron James would pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time scoring leader. That's a bit unlikely, though, as James is 36 points from passing Abdul-Jabbar and is set at over/under 32.5 points at Caesars Sportsbook vs. the Thunder.

Had James not gotten last Monday off in Brooklyn, this probably would have been the record-setting game. DraftKings now lists tonight at +250 to be the game in which James breaks the scoring mark of 38,387 points set by the former Laker Abdul-Jabbar. Thursday's home game vs. Milwaukee, featuring a stellar matchup against Giannis Antetokounmpo, is the -295 favorite. The Lakers then go on a road trip, and James (currently sitting at 38,352 points) certainly wants to break the record at home.

The four-time MVP is listed as questionable for Tuesday's game, but he always has that designation on the injury report. He's playing.

James is seventh in the league in scoring at 30.0 points per game and has scored at least 20 in in 35 consecutive games, the third-best streak of his career. This is the first meeting of the season between Thunder and Lakers, and James has averaged 28.1 points in 34 career games against the Oklahoma City/Seattle franchise. 

Tuesday will also mark the first time the Lakers take the court since losing out on a trade for Nets All-Star Kyrie Irving. The Lakers were the favorites to get the superstar guard, and Irving wanted to go to L.A, and reunite with James, but the Nets didn't really care what Irving wanted and sent him to Dallas. 

The Lakers reportedly offered Russell Westbrook and their unprotected 2027 and 2029 first-round picks, but the Nets asked for a lot more and the Lakers walked away. Brooklyn got Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, an unprotected first-round pick in 2029 and two second-round picks from the Mavericks. The Lakers got the impression that Nets owner Joe Tsai was reluctant to trade Irving to LA.

"I can't sit here and say I'm not disappointed on not being able to land such a talent," James said Monday of missing out on Kyrie. "Someone I had great chemistry with, I know I got great chemistry with on the floor, that can help you win championships in my mind, in my eyes. But my focus has shifted now, my focus has shifted back to where it should be and that's this club now, and what we have now."

Los Angeles probably can't pawn off Westbrook to any other team at this point for a better piece. The Lakers are 25-29, a record that has them in 13th place in the Western Conference. They are +160 to make the playoffs and -190 to miss.

Tuesday's game is the second of a back-to-back for Oklahoma City, which was routed 141-114 on Monday by Golden State. The Warriors hit a season-high 26 3-pointers and outscored OKC 78-33 from deep. The Thunder are 2-4 straight up in the second halves of back-to-backs this season. 

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