Thunder-Lakers Preview

By KATE HEDLIN
Posted Mar 28 2012 9:54PM

The Oklahoma City Thunder are the team to beat in the Western Conference, but Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are showing they may have another run in them - provided they stay focused.

The Thunder visit the Lakers on Thursday night in Derek Fisher's return to Staples Center.

Oklahoma City (38-12) continues to hold onto first place in the West, although San Antonio has closed the gap.

The Lakers (31-19) are also trying to make a move, having won three of four and eight of 11 to pull into third place and within seven games of the Thunder.

However, Los Angeles put up little fight when it shot 38.5 percent and lost 100-85 at Oklahoma City on Feb. 23. Kevin Durant scored 33 points to lead the Thunder, while Bryant had 24 on 7-of-24 shooting.

This meeting will feature Fisher on the other side of the rivalry. The Laker favorite was sent to Houston at the trade deadline, then was bought out before signing with the Thunder.

Fisher had played 13 of his 16 NBA seasons with Los Angeles, which decided to go in a different direction at the point guard position after acquiring Ramon Sessions from Cleveland.

"I think that I was surprised by it, but since then I've very much realized that it's not so much about what went wrong and why it happened but more so where I'm going next and the next chapter of my life," Fisher said.

The Thunder have won four straight since acquiring Fisher, although he has had minimal impact, averaging 3.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in 22.3 minutes.

While Oklahoma City will go for its fifth straight victory Thursday, Los Angeles is trying to continue its strong play.

However, the recent success has not been without drama in the last week, including a possible brewing issue between Andrew Bynum and coach Mike Brown following a 104-101 victory over Golden State on Tuesday.

Bynum sat the final 9 minutes after missing a 3-pointer in the third quarter. The 7-foot center, who has attempted eight 3s in his career, was surprised by Brown's decision.

"I don't know what was bench-worthy about the shot to be honest with you," said Bynum, who had 11 points and five rebounds. "I made one (in Sunday's game). I wanted to make another one. That's it. He took offense to it, so he put me on the bench."

Bynum's benching came two days after Brown sat Bryant late in a 102-96 loss to Memphis. Bryant responded with two big shots in the final 1:04 against the Warriors.

"Why is everybody acting like we're in eighth place?" said Bryant, who finished with 30 points. "You guys were kissing the Clippers' (butts) at the start of the season, and now we're in the third seed and everybody's acting like we (stink). I don't understand it."

Thursday opens a four-game homestand for Los Angeles, which has dropped two of three at Staples Center but is 20-4 there.

The Thunder are 16-8 on the road and coming off a 109-95 win at Portland on Tuesday.

Russell Westbrook scored 32 points and had eight assists as Oklahoma City shot 57.0 percent. The Thunder built a 21-point lead before holding on after the Trail Blazers pulled within five in the third quarter.

"As we move through the end of the regular season and get into the playoffs, we're going to face similar situations where we have a lead or we're playing well, and the home team is always going to make a run, especially when you're playing the better teams in the West," Fisher told the Thunder's official website. "The way we responded tonight was a great sign."

Oklahoma City's next five games are against playoff contenders, including Miami and Chicago - the top two teams in the East.

Thunder beat Lakers 102-93 for 5th straight win

By BETH HARRIS
Posted Mar 30 2012 2:31AM

LOS ANGELES (AP) Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant started slowly. Once the NBA's highest scoring duo got going, they ran right through the Los Angeles Lakers.

Westbrook scored 36 points, Durant added 21 and the West-leading Oklahoma City Thunder won 102-93 Thursday night for their fifth consecutive victory in the matchup of division leaders.

Westbrook was 2 of 6 in the opening quarter.

"The game got out of whack. It was my job to pick it up," he said. "We did a great job of defending and closing out the game."

Durant started out 1 of 9, describing it as "probably the worst I've played since I've been here but I kept fighting.

"They were all good shots. My teammates carried me and I started to make some shots."

The Thunder shot 46 percent, ending their streak of hitting 50 percent or better in their four previous games. They outscored the Lakers on second-chance points, had a 25-8 edge in fast-break points and grabbed 19 offensive rebounds.

"We did a pretty good job in the half court, but the offensive rebounds that gave them second opportunities and transition baskets killed us," Kobe Bryant said. "Every time we give up that many offensive rebounds, we lose pretty much every game."

Andrew Bynum had 25 points and 13 rebounds and Bryant added 23 points on 7-of-25 shooting for the Lakers, who have lost their last two at home and are 0-2 against the Thunder this season, including a 15-point road loss last month.

"The thing about Kobe is that he makes tough shots, and he didn't make them like he usually does," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "Thabo (Sefolosha) did a good job forcing him away from his sweet spots and making him take tough shots."

Bryant viewed the game as a measuring stick against the West leaders, who are 39-12. The Lakers are third at 31-20.

"We were in that position a few years back. We had to struggle, fight, scratch and claw with teams in those positions, and we got to the playoffs and won a championship," he said. "Last year against Dallas, I think we beat them every time during the regular season. So it's all about how teams continue to improve during the course of the regular season."

Oklahoma City pulled away to open the fourth quarter with a 10-0 run that stretched its lead to 88-70 while Westbrook kept Bryant tied up offensively. Westbrook and Durant scored four points each in the spurt that had Laker fans booing.

The Lakers responded with a 14-4 run to close to 96-89, with Metta World Peace hitting two 3-pointers and Bryant not scoring. Westbrook and Durant missed shots, but they regrouped in time to score their team's final 10 points.

Westbrook scored 17 points in the third, when the Thunder dominated, 34-19, in taking a 78-68 lead into the final 12 minutes.

"Russell Westbrook established the tempo in the third quarter and he changed the pace of the game for them," Bryant said. "He's one of my favorites. He's developed his outside shot a great deal, and he went to the post a little bit as well so he's a problem."

Durant was limited to a lone 3-pointer while Westbrook scored at will, alternately slashing to the basket or hitting from the perimeter. His 3 beat the buzzer to end the quarter. Kendrick Perkins had 10 of his 12 points in the third.

"In the third quarter, he just came out, put his head down and went 1-on-4 and either scored or got fouled every time he came down the floor," Lakers coach Mike Brown said. "To give up 34 points in the third quarter the way we gave them up ... Oklahoma City didn't do anything tricky. All they did was come at us in transition and play pick-and-roll."

The Thunder weres limited to 36 percent shooting in the first half, when they trailed 49-44. The Lakers got off to a strong start, leading 30-18 after one quarter behind nine points by Bryant and eight from Bynum. Oklahoma City outscored the Lakers 26-19 in the second quarter and took off from there.

NOTES: The Thunder twice hit buzzer-beating baskets. Serge Ibaka had one to end the first half before Westbrook's 3 ended the third. ... The Thunder closed March with an 11-5 record. ... Former Laker Derek Fisher was welcomed back with two standing ovations in his first visit to Staples Center since being traded away recently. He had seven points in 16 minutes off the bench for the Thunder. ... Brown said someone opened a Twitter account in his name that has since been shut down. "It's a sign that I've made it," he said. "But I will never have a Twitter account. I promise."

Notebook: Thunder 102, Lakers 93

Posted Friday March 30, 2012 1:58AM

By Dan Arritt, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: A close game Thursday night between two of the top teams in the Western Conference was blown open in the third quarter as Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook scored 17 of his 36 points to lift Oklahoma City to a 102-93 victory against the Lakers at Staples Center.

THE STAT: Westbrook, who grew up in nearby Long Beach and played two seasons at UCLA, continues to make a strong case to be recognized as the best point guard in the NBA. For only the second time in his four-year career, he scored 32 points or more in back-to-back games. He had 32 in a victory Tuesday in Portland. He nearly had his second turnover-free game of the season, but was called for traveling with 7:03 remaining.

QUOTABLE: "We got two tough road wins, one at Portland and one here. Now we can go back home for two big games, so it's great."
-- Russell Westbrook

TURNING POINT: The Lakers surged to a 30-18 lead after the first quarter and still led by five at the start of the third when Pau Gasol committed his second and third fouls just 10 seconds apart. Westbrook then drove the ball at Gasol in the lane and he was whistled for No. 4 with 9:37 remaining and the Lakers clinging to a three-point lead. Gasol was taken out and the Thunder followed with a 13-1 run to take a 57-50 advantage. Lakers backup point guard Steve Blake scored back-to-back baskets to keep the Lakers within three, but another 6-0 burst pushed the lead back to nine and the Lakers didn't have any more timely answers.

HOT: Thunder forward Kevin Durant missed his first eight field-goal attempts before connecting on 10 of his next 14 to finish with 21 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.

NOT: While Westbrook was carving up the Lakers in the third quarter, Kobe Bryant was hitting mostly rim. He missed all six field-goal attempts in the third quarter and shot 2-for-14 with nine points in the second half. In his previous two home games, Bryant missed his final 11 field-goal attempts last Friday in a victory against Portland, and was essentially benched for a stretch late in Sunday's loss against the Grizzlies after what looked like some questionable shot selections.

GOOD MOVE: Westbrook capped off the decisive third quarter by hitting a 3-point basket at the buzzer. He inbounded the ball on the other side of midcourt with 2.9 seconds remaining, let the ball bounce a couple time to prevent the game clock from starting, then quickly changed directions as he dribbled by Bryant at midcourt. He pulled up at the 3-point line and sank the bucket to give Oklahoma City at 78-68 lead and silence the crowd during the break between quarters.

BAD MOVE: Maybe it was because Gasol was so surprised to see James Harden miss two straight free throws, but he pretty much stood and watched early in the fourth quarter as Nick Collison went up and over him and tipped in the second miss to give the Thunder a 82-70 lead. Harden, an 81.8 percent free throw shooter coming in, ended up missing a third straight from the line later in the quarter.

QUOTABLE: "We did a great job in the second half defending. The Lakers are a tough team, especially at home."
-- Russell Westbrook

NOTABLE: Thunder backup guard Derek Fisher, who spent 13 seasons with the Lakers during two stretches before he was traded March 15, received a standing ovation when he entered the game with 2:04 left in the first quarter. He scored all seven points in his first seven minutes, his best game with Oklahoma City ... Bryant needed 25 shots to score 23 points, Bynum needed 15 to score 25. Bynum also finished with 13 rebounds, his first game in double digits in the last six ... After scoring 22 points in the paint in the first quarter, the Lakers scored just 26 down low the rest of the way.

UP NEXT: For the Lakers, Saturday vs. New Orleans, Sunday vs. Golden State, Tuesday vs. New Jersey. For the Thunder, Sunday vs. Chicago, Monday vs. Memphis, Wednesday @ Miami.

• Thunder: Cook, Maynor
• Lakers: Eyenga

• Thunder: Durant, Perkins
• Lakers: --

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 0

• Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Officials: #43 Dan Crawford, #20 Leroy Richardson, #30 John Goble
• Attendance: 18997
• Duration: 2:25