James suffered a groin strain on Christmas Day against the Golden State Warriors and is still yet to return.
He will be re-evaluated early next week, but will not take part in any of the Lakers’ games against either the Thunder or the Houston Rockets.
James could well return against the Golden State Warriors, but without him, the Lakers have struggled.
They have lost seven out of nine games without him, winning just four times.
And team-mate Kyle Kuzma revealed that the Lakers are making no excuses ahead of the tough stretch of games.
“It’s a tough three-game stretch,” he said.
“Super tough. Top five teams in the league, if you really look at it from a year ago and even how they’re playing right now. We’ve got our hands full.
“Just more adversity we’ve got to face, especially road games and then coming home and playing on Martin Luther King day.
“I didn’t even notice it until [Monday] pretty much. I don’t really look ahead at the schedule too much because there’s so many games.
“It kind of kicks you in your butt when you look at the games that you lost and should’ve won.”
What time does the Los Angeles Lakers vs Oklahoma City Thunder game start?
Tip-off is at 6.30pm PST/2.30am UK time.
How can I watch the Los Angeles Lakers vs Oklahoma City Thunder game?
Sky Sports are the exclusive rights holders for NBA in the UK.
However, tonight’s game is not being shown live.
To stream the Lakers vs Thunder game for free, fans can watch through Bet365’s website and apps, so long as they have funds in their account.
Alternatively fans can purchase the NBA League Pass.
There are numerous packages the NBA League Pass offers with the premium account offering coverage from every team, every game and exclusive features for an annual fee of £214.99.
The next one down covers every team and every game for an annual fee of £184.99.
While if you wanted to stick to just one team then it will cost £99.99 for the season or a day pass will cost £4.99.