OKC Showtime Routs Lakers

The pivotal Game 4 between the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder went overwhelmingly to the home team 110-89 at Ford Center. The Thunder and Lakers are now tied at 2-2 with Game 5 set for Tuesday night back at Staples Center. Blanketed in a sea of white this time, the Lakers won the tip and that was the extent of the good news. Pau would get fouled on the first possession and promptly miss his two free throws. And as play resumed, it quickly became apparent that the Thunder were the more aggressive and poised team as the Lakers fumbled away possession after possession having the ball slip through their fingertips. OKC went to their new go-to-guy in Russell Westbrook (18 points, 8 rebounds,

6 assists in 29-minutes) as he was able to penetrate and attack the basket with ease. The Lakers, whom vowed to get the ball inside, did as directed but both Pau Gasol (13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists in 30-minutes) and Andrew Bynum (13 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocked shots in 28-minutes) had difficulty hanging onto the ball. It was as if the ball was a greased pig, squirting through their fingers whenever the ball was dropped into the post. Meanwhile, the Thunder had no such problems, sprinting up-court in a style reminiscent of a group of Lakers from the ’80s as they outraced their defenders to the hoop culminating in a slew of slam dunks. Kevin Durant (22 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocked shots in 31-minutes) found his shot to be in much better form as he converted his open looks. The Thunder would take an early 15-14 lead just as the Lakers roof came crashing down on them. The Lakers went the next 3-1/2 minutes without scoring as the Thunder would extend their lead to 27-14. Derek Fisher’s (11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal in 29-minutes) 3-pointer would make the score respectable, but after one quarter of play, the Thunder were clearly in control with a commanding 29-17 lead.

More amazing than the Thunder jumping out to such a quick and effortless lead, was the fact that Kobe Bryant (12 points on 5-10, 3 rebounds, 4 assists in 32-minutes) did not attempt a single field goal. Meanwhile, Lamar Odom (12 points on 6-12, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 blocked shot in 22-minutes) must have gotten the memo to be more assertive on offense and came into the game launching shot after shot. He was clearly pressing and trying to jump-start his game, but instead it played right into the hands of the Thunder. OKC began to distance themselves by out-hustling the slower footed Lakers to loose balls, getting valuable second opportunities. And with the Thunder on the verge of breaking the game wide open, Westbrook found a cutting Jeff Green (15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists) for the backdoor lob pass, only to be held up by Odom. Instead of being rewarded with two free throws, the referees gave the Thunder the ball out-of-bounds. As a cascade of boos rained down on the officiating crew, the Lakers immediately got back-to-back scores from Bynum to chip into the lead 40-28 with 6:11 left in the half. But as would be the case throughout the contest, the Thunder came roaring back. James Harden (15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 blocked shot) nailed a three-pointer and drew the foul on Kobe. His 4-point play put the Thunder back in charge for good. They would close out the half with a comfortable 55-42 lead while the Lakers were fortunate not to be down by even more.

As we all braced for the inevitable come-back by this Lakers squad, a funny thing happened. It never came. Thabo Sefalosha (5 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 blocked shot) would set the tone early, getting 3 free throws after being fouled by Kobe behind the arc. The Thunder would increase their lead as the Lakers grew more and more unsteady. The defending champs were unable to string together any sustained effort and as a result, allowed the Thunder to destroy them in transition baskets. The Thunder would roll off a 12-4 run midway through the quarter and suddenly the lead had ballooned to 76-55. And as this game quickly turned into a blowout, the Thunder were able to rest key personnel in preparation for what is now looking to be a very long series. Everything was going OKC’s way, as the free throw disparity between the two squads became a deep chasm. And as Phil Jackson started pulling his starters looking for any sort of lift from the bench, no one answered the call. Shannon Brown (10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal) was only 2-8 from the field and got all of his points late in the game. Jordan Farmar (4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists) was a dismal 1-7.

The 4th quarter was all garbage time as the Lakers went exclusively with their bench. Perhaps hoping that they could somehow chip away and get themselves back into the game, the Lakers instead took two steps backwards as the Thunder poured it on. A 13-4 run would give the Thunder their largest lead at 104-76 with 5:31 left in the game. Oklahoma City mercifully called a time-out to pull any remaining starters off the floor to a thunderous ovation as chants of “Beat LA” rang down on the purple and gold. The Lakers would hold the Thunder to only 6 more points the rest of the way, but the damage had already been done as this game was over at halftime. The Thunder had held court after the Lakers had taken the first two on their home floor. Now the battle shifts back to Staples Center with the momentum clearly on the side of the confident, young Thunder. Let’s all hope the change in scenery does well in rejuvenating this Lakers squad. Because after this game, everyone can use a pick-me-up. Mine is currently sitting in a glass and chilling on the rocks.

dEDGE Post Scriptum

I never thought there would be another Michael Jordan, then a kid called Kobe came along. The Mailman became bigger and stronger and more athletic, and suddenly the prototypical basketball player was born as Lebron James entered the scene. But the second coming of Showtime? Never in my wildest dreams could I have ever imagined such a thing was possible. The number of ingredients necessary far outweighed the likelihood that we would ever see a fast break as beautiful as one led by Magic Johnson. We’re used to hearing the chants of “Beat LA!” but are we prepared for “Beat OKC?” The Thunder have taken this Lakers team and the league by complete surprise, running them into the ground at every opportunity. Tonight’s game looked more like an old Detroit Pistons team finally being unceremoniously dethroned by an up-and-coming Chicago Bulls team led by none other than Phil Jackson.

Russell Westbrook is a high-flying speedster capable of accelerating his game into 7th gear. Kevin Durant is the finisher, flushing dunks or driving stakes through your heart with his jump shot. Their role players fit this team perfectly with Thabo Sefalosha contributing tough defense and if left open, a capable jump shot from an unexpected source. Jeff Green fills in where ever needed, scoring points, grabbing rebounds and smiling the entire way. Nenad Krstic is a solid post player that is deceivingly big when compared with our twin towers in Pau and Drew. Combined, they attack in waves, overwhelming you by getting to every loose ball, snaring any available rebound, then getting the ball into the hands of their speed demon and finishing with dramatic flair.

Westbrook had one of those magic moments when he led the Thunder on the break and dished off the perfect, no-look pass to Durant, who provided the exclamation point with a “thunderous” jam. Our Magic couldn’t have done it any better. Had I awoken seconds earlier, I would have sworn they were showing 50 Years of Lakers Memories hosted by Speero Dedo. Instead, it was a rude awakening to what may lie ahead if the Lakers do not wake up themselves.