The Los Angeles Lakers will be without Lonzo Ball tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. Ball has a left knee injury that kept him out of a Monday matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Lakers haven't done much without Ball, going a feeble 0-7 when he is out of the lineup, yet head coach Luke Walton remained optimistic after announcing he'll sit this Western Conference matchup.

“We’re capable of winning without him,” Walton said.

Walton said the soreness in his knee is still too much to trot his prized point guard into a game.

Brandon Ingram also missed the game against the Grizzlies on Monday with an ankle injury, one that snapped the Lakers' season-high four-game win streak. He is expected to play tonight and be one of the key scoring options for this team moving forward.

Los Angeles is 4-1 after a season-worst nine-game skid, still trying to find the right footing with this young core, but they will need an exemplary performance to top the star-studded Thunder, who are fifth in the Western Conference with a 24-20 record, building on a two-game streak.

The Thunder though, have shown plenty of inconsistencies throughout the season and a win against them could serve as the turn of the tide for this team in terms of confidence, as well as proving Walton's confidence in his squad correct.

The Lakers have missed Ball's furious pace when he's sidelined, a big reason for a dip in scoring and ball-movement throughout their Ball-less affairs.