Question: Name the only NBA team with a 21-42 record that still would be featured in national Sunday afternoon game?

Answer: The Lakers. Of course.

Yep, Mike Tirico and Hubie Brown were on hand yesterday for the Oklahoma City-Lakers game Sunday on ABC. Now Kevin Durant always is a good TV draw, and there’s still something special about being in LA. Memories of Magic, West, Kobe, etc…

However, while the Lakers put on a good show in pulling off an unlikely victory Sunday, their 48-point loss to the Clippers last week said more about the state of the league’s long-time marquee franchise. The Lakers surely are fading from view, and could be irrelevant for an extended stretch if Kobe Bryant can’t mount a comeback.

That’s not a good thing for the networks. The Lakers have been ratings gold for a long time.

“From a ratings standpoint, it’s tough,” said Tim Corrigan, the senior coordinating producers for the NBA on ESPN. “You’re not used to flipping on the Lakers and not knowing who is on the court. Now we need to explain who everyone is.”

It isn’t just the Lakers. For the time ever, the Lakers, Celtics, Knicks and 76ers all will have losing records this year. Gone are a lot of potential big-market games. Last week, it was announced that the national Sunday game on April 13 would be switched from Bulls-Knicks to Thunder-Pacers.

So instead of doing a game between the No. 1 (New York) and No. 3 (Chicago) U.S. TV markets, ABC now gets No. 26 (Indianapolis) and No. 41 (Oklahoma City).

That game could be a preview of the NBA Finals. However, from a ratings standpoint, it isn’t the same as doing a game featuring two of the nation’s three largest markets, and the built-in viewership that comes with fans of the Knicks and Bulls.

“No question,” Corrigan said.

For now, ESPN/ABC and TNT are riding on the LeBron James train. The ratings have been so high for the Heat games, it has offset the fall of the traditional big-name teams. Corrigan expects ESPN to do a big number for the Heat-Pacers game in Indy on March 26.

ESPN/ABC play-by-play voice Mike Breen is trying to put a positive spin on the situation. He contends the demise of the Lakers creates opportunities for other teams and stars to step into the spotlight.

“The league always is better when the Lakers are good; the Celtics are good; the Knicks are good,” Breen said. “However, I think it is a lot different than what we saw five years ago. There are so many more teams that are competitive. What’s happening in Portland is a good story. Paul George not only is a fantastic player, but he’s also a high character guy.

“It’s always good to have the big-market teams in there, but there are some incredible young players out there who are fun to watch.”

Breen is right. Just the same, ESPN/ABC and TNT will be rooting hard for LeBron and company to make a fourth straight trip to the NBA Finals.