OKLAHOMA CITY (Interstat) — The Western Conference’s top seed meets a storied but overmatched franchise Tuesday night when the Oklahoma City Thunder host the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series at Paycom Center. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CDT. seed Oklahoma City (68-18) enters as a heavy favorite, installed at minus-15 points by oddsmakers. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 121-104 victory for the Thunder. The over/under is 213 points. The Lakers (57-31), seeded seventh, face an uphill climb against a Thunder team that swept the four-game season series and won those meetings by an average of 30 points. Oklahoma City beat Los Angeles 123-87 on April 7 and 139-96 on April 2, with both games featuring lopsided margins. LeBron James, at age 41, remains the Lakers’ engine. In his past two outings — both against Houston in the first round — James averaged 26.5 points, 5 rebounds and 7.5 assists. He played 37 minutes in a 98-78 Game 6 victory Friday that closed out the Rockets. Over his last 10 games, James has averaged 22.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 8.8 assists, though he shot below 40 percent from the field in a pair of losses to the Thunder this season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been the driving force for Oklahoma City. The MVP candidate scored at least 25 points in each of his past six games. In the Thunder’s first-round sweep of Phoenix, he averaged 33.8 points on 55.6 percent shooting, adding 7.5 assists and 3.8 rebounds. He played 38 minutes in a series-clinching 131-122 win Monday, posting 31 points and eight assists. The Thunder’s depth provides a stark contrast to the Lakers. Chet Holmgren recorded 24 points and 12 rebounds in that win over the Suns. Isaiah Hartenstein added 18 points and 12 rebounds. Oklahoma City’s roster includes five players averaging double figures in the postseason. The Lakers countered with James, Rui Hachimura (21 points) and Deandre Ayton (16 rebounds) in their series-clinching win against Houston. Game 2 is Thursday in Oklahoma City. The series shifts to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday.