Lakers, Kobe Survive Scare Vs Thunder

Withstanding a 4th quarter flurry by the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Los Angeles Lakers held on to prevail, 111-108 at Staples Center. Midway through the final period, Lakers fans collectively held their breaths as Kobe Bryant (40 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals) landed awkwardly and clutched his left knee in obvious pain as his knee appeared to buckle under him. Kobe stayed on the floor holding his knee as teammates and Trainer Gary Vitti ran to his aid. He was able to walk off the floor under his own power and after a Lakers time-out, appeared out of the huddle wiping his brow in a sign of thankful relief. Staples Center was in momentary silence as replays showed Kobe’s knee splaying out to left as he landed. But any thoughts of a Lakers team without their leader were quickly drowned out by a standing ovation as Kobe strode to the free throw line and calmly drained a pair.

In a tale of two halves, the OKC Thunder’s youth and athleticism actually made the Lakers look confused and ill-prepared in the first half. Kevin Durant (30 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds) and Russell Westbrook (21 points, 13 assists, 7 rebounds) had their way against the defending world champions, scoring at will as they ran on every opportunity. The Thunder was able to use the Lakers size advantage against them, forcing them to keep pace with their youth and energy. Pau Gasol (15 points, 11 rebounds, 6 blocked shots) had many of his shots altered as defenders ran at him and contested every shot. Andrew Bynum (11 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocked shots, 2 assists) had a difficult time finding the range as the Thunder’s swarming defense kept him off balance. But both Lakers bigs played huge on defense, swatting away numerous shots as the last line of defense. Rookie James Harden (16 points, 2 rebounds) utilized his size and speed against the smaller Lakers defenders and was able to bully his way to the basket giving the Thunder a surprising 61-54 halftime advantage.

The Lakers regrouped in the second half and immediately put the Thunder back on its heels, recapturing the lead at 66-65 on a Derek Fisher (15 points, 4 assists) three pointer with 8:12 to play in the third quarter. Ron Artest’s (12 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) aggressive defense and presence in the post forced the Thunder to send weakside help, only to allow him to find open teammates cutting to the basket. And with Bynum and Gasol controlling the airwaves, the Lakers took an 88-82 lead heading into the final period. Westbrook began working for his own shots after distributing the ball so well in the first three quarters of play. And his attack mode caught the Lakers napping on defense as he found his way uncontested to the rim. Thabo Sefolosha (16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocked shots) hit from deep and the Lakers found themselves in a dogfight. Lamar Odom (12 points, 9 rebounds) momentarily stemmed the tide after he connected on a long trey, but the Thunder continued their attack and clawed their way to within 105-102 with 1:54 left in the contest. A pair of baskets by Westbrook sandwiched in between two pairs of free throws by Kobe drew the Thunder to within 109-106. OKC called time-out and Harden scored easily on a power drive to the hoop to draw the Thunder within a point. But Fisher calmly drained a pair of free throws after the intentional foul and Westbrook’s three point attempt fell harmlessly off the rim as the clock expired.

If there is a silver lining in this game, it is that Kobe did not sustain much more substantial damage to his left knee. The entire Lakers season was put on hold as Kobe writhed in pain on the court. Only time will tell how stiff his knee will be in the morning. Lakers fans can only hope that their warrior will once again fight through the pain and distraction as these injuries begin to mount in severity. The bench will need to provide much more in order for the Lakers to defend their championship. As the minutes for the starters grow longer and longer, strain and fatigue will begin to take its toll. Not only did Kobe play through his broken finger and hyper-extended knee, but he also took an unintentional elbow to the jaw from a driving Westbrook. Phil Jackson showed little patience with his bench tonight, quickly pulling them after ill-advised shot attempts early in the 24-second clock. The Lakers committed 17 turnovers, were outscored in the paint, 44-40, and were out-hustled on defense and to loose balls. The Thunder were one big man away from upsetting the Lakers tonight. That won’t be the case on Christmas Day if the Lakers play the same way. Not only is Lebron James coming to town but he’s bringing along his new bosom buddy, Shaquille ONeal.