OKLAHOMA CITY (Interstat) — The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder look to seize a 2-0 series lead Thursday night at Paycom Center, hosting the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of the Western Conference playoff series. Oklahoma City earned a 36-26 win in Game 1 on Tuesday, a defensive slugfest that underscored the Thunder’s dominance against the Lakers this season. The Thunder (68-18) swept all five regular-season meetings, winning by an average margin of 26.2 points, including a 139-96 rout in Los Angeles on April 2. The Lakers (57-31), who knocked off the Houston Rockets in the first round, will lean on 41-year-old LeBron James. James averaged 23.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 8.8 assists over the final five games of the Houston series, highlighted by a 29-point, 13-rebound, six-assist effort in a 112-108 win on April 24. He posted 28 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in the series-clinching 98-78 victory on May 1. Oklahoma City counters with MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who torched the Phoenix Suns in the first round. Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 33.8 points and 8.0 assists in the Thunder’s four-game sweep, including 42 points on April 25 and 37 points on April 22. He went for 31 points, two rebounds and eight assists in a 131-122 series-clinching victory April 27. The Thunder’s depth also poses problems for Los Angeles. Center Chet Holmgren posted 24 points and 12 rebounds in the series clincher, while Isaiah Hartenstein added 18 points and 12 boards. In Game 1, Holmgren and Hartenstein combined to limit Lakers center Deandre Ayton, who grabbed 16 rebounds but scored just seven points in the Lakers’ final first-round win. Oklahoma City’s defense has smothered the Lakers all season. The Thunder held Los Angeles to 92 points or fewer in three of the five regular-season meetings, and the Lakers’ offensive struggles carried into Game 1, where they managed just 26 points. Los Angeles will need improved production from its supporting cast. Rui Hachimura scored 21 points in the Houston clincher, and Austin Reaves must be more efficient after a quiet Game 1. The Lakers have not beaten the Thunder since a Feb. 9 meeting in Los Angeles, when Oklahoma City prevailed 119-110. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 121-104 Thunder victory. The series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Monday. A win Thursday would put Oklahoma City in position to sweep at home.