Last season, the Thunder dispatched the Lakers in five tough games. It appeared that Kobe was passing the torch to Durant and Westbrook to dominate the West for the next five years. It seemed like a time of transition was coming. Yet, the next few months have been very turbulent for both teams but mostly the Lakers.
As they met again tonight, the Thunder were just one step ahead of the Lakers. For nearly 44 minutes, they were dominant and humming. Durant and Westbrook gave the Lakers, a one-two punch that decided this game well into the Third Quarter. The Lakers were outclassed and out-manned on this night.
Oklahoma City was in mid-season form. It was a team that was breath taking to watch. Most notably, the shooting of the enigmatic Russell Westbrook. He was 10-15 in the first half, and his shots were judiciously selected. It was not the player who made boneheaded shots or decisions when he had Durant on one side who could light any unlucky defender like a Christmas tree. Westbrook was so hot that he went 75 feet in 5.9 seconds and swished a three pointer to cut the Laker lead to one at end of the opening stanza.
From there, the Thunder just feasted on the Lakers turnovers and poor defensive rotations. They turned a one point deficit into a 14 point halftime lead with a 41 point quarter. Nick Collison was instrumental as well. He made timely rebounds, tips, and was rewarded for his efforts to the tune of 13 pts and 7 rebounds off the bench.
By the time, the Lakers made a run, it was too little too late. The Thunder cruised to a six point win as the Lakers made furious late 4th Quarter charge. The only positives for the Laker was how they got the ball to Dwight Howard in the post and he made his free throws. In addition, they never quit and played the full 48 minutes. Yet, the bottom line, their defense, stagnant ball movement and 17 turnovers doomed them.
In Essence, the game was that the Thunder are still the Thunder. They are an Elite team who appeared to have gotten over the sluggish week following the shocking James Harden trade. It still needs some tinkering but for one night, it was the far superior team.
As for the Lakers, it's still a work in progress that will get noticeably better when at full strength. It will be very different than what we have seen in the last 20 games. However, it's still a team that is top-heavy with bloated contracts and an aging roster. Steve Nash can only mask so many flaws that this Laker team has, which are potholes. Yet, the Lakers will still be both fascinating and riveting to watch.
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