Lakers eliminate the Thunder on last-second basket

LAKERS WIN SERIES 4-2

Pau Gasol puts back a Kobe Bryant miss for a 95-94 victory in Game 6.

Lakers vs. Thunder Game 6 (Final score) Lakers 95, Thunder 94Remember how Lakerdom was at a point of panic just a few days ago. The Lakers had lost two straight to the Thunder and there was a real concern that the defending NBA champions might not even make it out of the first round.Time to relax.

The Lakers went down to the last second Friday night as Pau Gasol put the ball in after a Kobe Bryant miss and the Lakers took a 95-94 win over a tough Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers won the series 4-2 and will play the winner of the Utah-Denver series.Bryant certainly stepped up by scoring 32 points on 12-of-25 shooting. Gasol, even though he scored the winning basket, did not have the best of games, scoring only nine points, but he was big with 18 rebounds.
Derek Fisher also made some key baskets for the Lakers, going three of six from the beyond the three-point line. He finished with 11 points. The Lakers' bench even stepped up as Shannon Brown had 11 points and Lamar Odom had nine points and,even more importantly, seven rebounds.

The Thunder should be proud of their effort against a team that everyone thought was easily superior. Kevin Durant had a difficult five-of-23 shooting night for 26 points. But it was UCLA's Russell Westbrook who kept the Thunder in the game with 21 points, including a couple of key baskets down the stretch.Lakers vs. Thunder Game 6 (Fourth quarter, 2:41), Thunder 92, Lakers 91The Lakers' lead was there but tenuous. Even Luke Walton hit a three -- yes, Luke Walton. Derek Fisher also stepped up during what has been a pretty good game with a layup. It was his 11th point.But Russell Westbrook wasn't ready to give up and a 24-foot three-pointer cut the Lakers' lead to four points, 86-82 with 6:21 to play in the game.Coming out of the timeout Phil Jackson reinserted his starters and here is where we would find out if the Lakers would need a Game 7. And who do you think was a difference-maker at that point? No, not Luke Walton. Ron Artest, who made his first three-pointer in four tries.

The Thunder closed to within five but it was Artest again, hitting a 17-footer. But the Thunder would not give up as Kevin Durant hit from long range and the Lakers' lead was down to four. An Artest turnover gave the Thunder a chance to close to within a bucket and Westbrook hit for two and the the Thunder's deficit was down to two.Then in a fourth quarter that seemed so promising, Westbrook hit another two and was fouled and the Thunder had a 92-91 lead with 2:41 to play. Turnovers were killing the Lakers.Do they have enough to recapture the lead?Lakers vs. Thunder Game 6 (Fourth quarter, 8:51) Lakers 81, Thunder 75The Lakers, as is their usual rotation, opened the fourth quarter with their second team. But, Shannon Brown started like anything but a second-team player with a three-pointer. It was his fourth make in five tries and he has 11 points in the game.Serge Ibaka closed the lead to four points and after a Laker shot clock violation the Thunder answered with their own shot clock violation. Yeah, they play defense in the playoffs.The second team continued to keep the game under control when Luke Walton -- yes, Luke Walton -- hit a fade-away jumper from the baseline and the lead remained at six.Lakers vs. Thunder Game 6 (End of third quarter) Lakers 76, Thunder 73The Lakers' goal for the remainder of the third quarter was quite simple, bide some time while Kobe Bryant was sitting on the bench after picking up his fourth foul.

Bryant had scored 16 points midway through the third quarter.It didn't take long for the Thunder to respond after a Lakers miss and turnover, and Kevin Durant tied the score on two free throws. But, the Lakers have more than one big-play guy -- remember the past -- Derek Fisher. He buried a 25-foot three-pointer with 16 seconds to play in the quarter and the Lakers took a three-point lead heading into the fourth.

ARTICLE SOURCE HERE

Lakers-Thunder Game 6 Preview

One dominating performance by the defending NBA champions wasn’t enough to rattle Scott Brooks and his young Oklahoma City Thunder.

After appearing vulnerable during the first four games of their playoff series, the Los Angeles Lakers regained control with a blowout victory in Game 5 that gave them a 3-2 series lead and chased away talk they were a slow, aging bunch.

For an Oklahoma City roster made up almost entirely of players who’ve never experienced the postseason before, the threat of elimination is the latest test of the resiliency they have shown all season.

“We’re not down,” Brooks said Thursday. “Everybody’s not wearing a black uniform.”
Despite the 111-87 loss on Tuesday night in Los Angeles, Brooks and his players have reason for optimism. The Thunder won both of their home games in the series, including their own blowout victory in Game 4. They will return to the Ford Center on Friday night for a chance to force a decisive final game in Los Angeles on Sunday.
“I think everybody knows what’s at stake, and we’ll come out and we’ll play much better,” said Nick Collison(notes), one of only three players in the Thunder’s regular rotation who’s been in the playoffs before. “We realize that the little things that we’ve done to get us to this point is what we need to do to have a chance against them.”

Brooks has had two full days to come up with a response to the Lakers’ decision to use Kobe Bryant(notes) to defend point guard Russell Westbrook(notes) but he said Thursday he’s not ready to reveal it. The move seemed like genius in Game 5, with Westbrook committing eight turnovers as Oklahoma City’s offense faltered.
“It’s just something that we’re going to have to show on the court,” Brooks said. “We have some things in mind that we have to do a better job of, but Russell has to stay with his game.
“It can never be Russell versus Kobe. If that’s the case, we’re going to be in trouble.”

While looking back at film of the game, Brooks said he realized that Bryant “guarded him but really didn’t guard him,” sagging off while tempting Westbrook to settle for jump shots instead of attacking the basket.
Westbrook didn’t handle it well the first time around but said he’s undaunted by the prospect of facing that type of defense again.

“It’s easier for me that way,” Westbrook said. “I can see what’s going on, make good passes to my teammates, find open guys and also look for my shot as well.”

Westbrook said he’s beyond the point in his career where he would be rattled by the prospect of going head-to-head against an NBA superstar. While he might have been had those moments last season as a rookie, Westbrook believes that he now plays no differently against Bryant or LeBron James(notes) than he would against Mike Conley(notes) or Nate Robinson(notes).

“I don’t think he’s like the best defender in the NBA to where I’m like, ‘OK, Kobe’s guarding me now,’ and I tighten up,” Westbrook said.

The key to the Lakers finding success on defense has been limiting Oklahoma City’s transition game, and coach Phil Jackson said that even has an impact on whether Bryant can matchup against Westbrook.
“If it’s a game where we’re not making shots, and we have to get back to defense from missed shots, that changes everything up,” Jackson said. “Kobe’s not going to have Westbrook on him, so obviously he’s got to find the cross-match and to find Westbrook in that transition is different.”

Los Angeles will be trying to close out its third straight playoff series on the road, after clinching the Western Conference finals in Denver and winning the NBA title in Orlando last season.

“It’s all about emotion and adrenaline and doing everything you can to make sure you don’t get off to a bad start,” point guard Derek Fisher(notes) said. “So for us, it will be a matter of standing up in the face of that surge that’s going to come at the beginning of the game. You can expect it, there’s no doubt about it. And it’s just a matter of how prepared we are to stand up in it, face it, deal with it, and then pace the game in the way that works best for us.

“But it will be a night full of emotion, and we’ll have to be the team that keeps our emotions and our poise in check the most.”

ARTICLE SOURCE HERE

Lakers want to impose will on Thunder

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- As the Lakers prepared to fly to Oklahoma City on Thursday, the team talked about the energy it hoped to take with it as carry-on to combat a raucous home crowd at the Ford Center in Friday's Game 6.

"It's really about who imposes whose will upon the game," said Lakers coach Phil Jackson. "You really have to impose your will upon the game. That's something we did in Game 3, but we couldn't sustain it."

Los Angeles has won the first quarter in four of the five games of the series, setting the tone from the beginning. In the first quarters of L.A.'s three wins, it outscored Oklahoma City by a combined 84-51. In Game 3, the first playoff game in the history of Oklahoma, the Lakers used a 10-0 run to start the game to diffuse the home crowd.

Kobe Bryant, who did not practice on Thursday, opting to rest his sore right knee and left ankle and arthritic right index finger, said that the Lakers need to be energetic, but not emotional.

"We don't get too high, we don't get too low," Bryant said. "It's tough to tell if it's a Finals game or the first game of the regular season. I think that's the attitude you have to have because you go through so many ups and downs throughout the course of the season that you have to keep your composure."
Still, Lamar Odom admitted that the Thunder fans will treat the potential close-out game as if it was Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

"Most teams, you see them fight like hell or realize they can't win," Odom said. "With this team, I expect them to fight like hell. I expect them to fight like their life is on the line."
Odom had limited participation in Thursday's practice as well, telling reporters, "I just had to rest up a little bit." Odom has been playing with a sore left shoulder since February.
Ron Artest had a protective pad on his left shoulder after practice as well, but did not acknowledge any injury.

"Why'd you tell them something's wrong with my shoulder?" Artest asked a team staffer when reporters questioned him about the pad. "There's nothing wrong with my shoulder."
Jackson brought up other tough road arenas as examples of the places that the Lakers have won series in the past with the crowd against them.

"We've closed games out in Utah [in 2008] and Denver [in 2009]," Jackson said. "They've been crazy places to play and [we've] been able to do the job there so this is something we should be able to sustain."
Added Odom: "You don't want to get too emotional, but yet, you kind of want to kind of stay intense. This is a great time for us, great position for us to be in. We really look forward to winning up there."

CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE SOURCE

Lakers aiming to close out Thunder

The Lakers have been in this position before -- a close-out game.

They are in the same position again, with a chance to finish off the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference first-round playoff series.

All the Lakers have to do is win Game 6 Friday night and they will win the best-of-seven series and move on to the second round. If the Lakers lose, they will host Game 7 Sunday at Staples Center.

Though the Lakers won Game 5 by 24 points to take a 3-2 lead in the series, they lost Game 4 at the Ford Center by 21 points.

"It's going to be a tough test for us," Kobe Bryant said after practice Thursday in El Segundo. "They have one of the best home crowds in the league. They have a lot of confidence at home. So it's going to be tough." Last season in the playoffs, the Lakers closed out the Utah Jazz in five games in the first round in Salt Lake City.

They closed out the Nuggets in six games of the Western Conference finals in Denver.
And then they finished off the Magic in five games in the NBA Finals in Orlando.
Brryant didn't practice Thursday so he could rest his right knee, right index finger and left ankle.
Lamar Odom practiced slightly so he could also rest his body.

The one thing the Lakers talked about the most was transition defense.
It has been a theme all series long. The Lakers have been implored by the coaching staff to get back on defense, and in Game 5 L.A. limited the Thunder to seven fast-break points.
"If we don't get back on defense, we know we will be in trouble," Odom said. "We have to get back and slow them down."
-- Broderick Turner

ARTICLE SOURCE HERE

Kobe Bryant never ceases to amaze

Bryant reinvents himself against Thunder in Game 5 as a playmaker and defensive stopper.

I guess you can hold the toast.For those who suggested that doom awaited the Lakers in the absence of a healthy Kobe Bryant — OK, for me — Game 5 against the Thunder was an eye-opener, and that's after 13 years of eye-openers, one more amazing than the next one.

After pulling all those rabbits out of hats, Bryant came up with the all-timer in Tuesday's Game 5:He reached into his hat and pulled out Kobe Bryant.

Taking what he had left — a sore knee that felt good, if not good enough to explode off — Bryant reinvented himself, becoming the playmaker who ran the Lakers offense and the defensive scourge who shut down Russell Westbrook and the Thunder offense.Of course, being Kobe, he said he could have scored 50 as easily, but thought it better to involve Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum ("If I didn't have Pau, Andrew... I'd score 45, 50 points and everybody would say, ‘Damn, he shoots too much.' ")Actually, given Bryant's limits, what he did Tuesday was incredible.The real story, according to Lakers sources, is that they don't know how good Kobe will feel game to game, and, said one, "Neither does he.

"Being Kobe, Bryant offers only clues and leaves everyone guessing — making himself a blank canvas on which they can paint anything ... like the old charges of "pouting" that surfaced after his ineffectual Game 4.Thirteen years later, still a wonder and a lightning rod.For all Bryant's imperial certainty that led him to the peculiar niche he occupies, he has undeniable attributes beyond his rarely seen skill level and never-before-seen commitment.He's all heart, to a fault. Having a little less would have saved him from 1,000 gaffes, such as playing so hurt for so long this season.

The Kobe who played with Shaquille O'Neal, was capable of pouting — although not as capable as Shaq, and never in a playoff game.That Kobe went away a long time ago. This is his team, the one he just re-upped with, essentially for good, that will take him to the destiny he has spent his life pursuing, assuming it was his destiny.The Kobe who resurfaced for Game 5 resembles the one who joined the U.S. Olympic team in 2007.The other players had lost in the World Championships the summer before to Greece, which ran pick-and-roll after pick-and-roll in their red-white-and-blue mugs.

At that point, the only reputation LeBron James had on defense was for not playing any.Asking Coach Mike Krzyzewski to let him guard the opposing point guard, Bryant knocked the ball away from Venezuela's Greivis Vasquez on the first possession of the first game, dived after it, got up as Venezuela got it back, and stole Vasquez's pass, starting a fastbreak the other way.Krzyzewski showed the play over and over. That was how they defended from that moment on.Oh, and LeBron then went home and made his first NBA All-Defense team.Bryant's request to guard Westbrook had the same effect on the Lakers, whose defense had been like the U.S. team, circa 2006.

ARTICLE SOURCE HERE

Bryant again tops list of most popular jerseys

NEW YORK (AP)—Kobe Bryant(notes) again is atop the list of the NBA’s most popular jerseys.
Bryant remained No. 1 on the list released Wednesday by the league. The Lakers star has topped the ranking since the start of the 2008-09 season and also leads sales in Europe and China.

He will likely be challenged next season if Cleveland’s LeBron James(notes) goes ahead with plans to switch from No. 23 to No. 6, or changes teams. James remained second on the new list.
The list is based on sales at the NBA Store and nbastore.com since the start of the season. Sales were up a combined 20 percent over last season.

Kevin Garnett(notes) was third, Derrick Rose(notes) moved up to fourth and Dwight Howard(notes) was No. 5.

The Lakers remained tops in team merchandise sales.

ARTICLE SOURCE HERE

Lakers vs. Thunder Game 5 (Final): Lakers 111, Thunder 87

Take a big sigh of relief Los Angeles, it looks like the Lakers are back. At least for one game.

In game that was never in doubt the Lakers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 111-87, in Game 5 of a first-round Western Conference series. Game 6 is Friday night in Oklahoma City.

The Lakers got a lot of help from areas that have been lacking. Pau Gasol had 25 points in about 30 minutes, including five for five from the free-throw line. And Andrew Bynum came out strong in the first quarter and turned in a 21-point game. Kobe Bryant, who also played only 30 minutes, finished with 13 points but no one seemed to mind. The Lakers had good spacing on offense and aggressive defense.

The fourth quarter was really an exercise in reserves as the Lakers' starters got a fair amount of rest.

As for the hyper-excited Lakers crowd in Staples Center, they spent the final quarter rooting for their taco payoff, which happens whenever the Lakers hold a team under 100 points during a victory.
Even that wasn’t in doubt.

ARTICLE SOURCE HERE


Lakers vs Thunder Game 5 video Highlights:

Lamar Odom finds his game

Just about everybody was calling out Lamar Odom.Phil Jackson wondered a few games ago when the Lakers' forward would stop being "M.I.A." Ron Harper said somebody needed to put an ad on a milk carton and ask, "Where's Lamar Odom?"

Then the media weighed in on Odom's regular-season effort with barely a shrug: Odom finished sixth in the voting for sixth man of the year after his numbers were slightly down in many categories.But a few hours after the announcement, Odom came up with his sharpest half of the Lakers' first-round playoff series in the Lakers' 111-87 Game 5 victory over Oklahoma City.

He was averaging 7.8 points and 6.5 rebounds before Game 5 but helped keep the Lakers well ahead of the Thunder with an aggressive first half in which he had seven points, five rebounds and two blocked shots. He finished with seven points, eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks.Coming into Tuesday's game, as Odom and Ron Artest bore the brunt of the Lakers' problems this series, Jackson laid out what Odom needed to do."He's got to rebound the ball and do the things he does for us, and that's initiate our offense," Jackson said. "[Serge] Ibaka is a talented athlete. He's done a really good job on Lamar.

Lamar hasn't found open lanes to drive. He's got four or five offensive fouls trying to overdo it."Atlanta guard Jamal Crawford easily won the sixth man award, determined by 122 writers and broadcasters in the U.S. and Canada.Crawford had 580 voting points, followed by Dallas guard Jason Terry (220 voting points) and Cleveland forward Anderson Varejao (126). Odom received one first-place vote, six second-place votes and two third-place votes for a total of 25 points.He averaged 10.8 points and 9.8 rebounds in the regular season and shot only 46.3%, his lowest accuracy since 43% with Miami in 2003-04.Still No. 1Kobe Bryant hasn't been entirely healthy this season, but his jersey sales have been robust.The Lakers guard led all NBA players in jersey popularity for a second consecutive season, outselling Cleveland forward LeBron James, Boston forward Kevin Garnett, Chicago guard Derrick Rose and Orlando center Dwight Howard.

Lakers forward Pau Gasol finished 14th based on sales at NBAstore.com and at the NBA store in New York. Specific figures were not available, but merchandise sales were up a combined 20% at the two retail outlets compared to last season, according to the NBA.The Lakers led the league in overall merchandise sales for the seventh time in the last eight seasons. Boston had the second-most merchandise sales, followed by Cleveland, Chicago and New York.

ARTICLE SOURCE HERE

Lakers-Thunder Game 5 Preview

Although the Los Angeles Lakers still aren’t certain what ailed Kobe Bryant during two dismal games in Oklahoma City, they’re certainly hoping two days of pure rest can cure it.

Wearing street clothes and a confident smile, Bryant watched intently while the Lakers finished up practice Monday in the midst of a first-round playoff series that’s been a whole lot less relaxing than the defending champions had hoped.

It’s the rest Bryant took in Game 4 in Oklahoma City—where he didn’t take a shot until the second quarter and scored just 12 points—that has left Los Angeles worrying about an extra-long summer.

Is Kobe hurt more than he’s letting on? Was his passiveness meant to send a message to his teammates, as he’s apparently done in the past? Or was he simply not feeling it against the eighth-seeded Thunder’s aggressive defense and youthful enthusiasm?

“I feel good right now,” Bryant said Monday. “I’ve battled some injuries, but I feel good today.”
Bryant wasn’t in the mood for many complete sentences, saying he feels “100 percent” even though “some nights it’s been tough.”

When asked if he’s at the top of his game, Bryant said: “I will be.”
Nobody will know for sure until Game 5 on Tuesday night, when the Lakers will have the backing of a home crowd that has paled in comparison to the volume and intensity of Oklahoma City’s eager fans, according to both teams.

To prevent Kevin Durant from starting his NBA playoff career with a historic first-round upset, Bryant and his fans might need to shake off their Hollywood cool.

“We don’t get angry,” Bryant said. “There are certain things that we have to do to execute to win. Angry doesn’t get it done. Emotion doesn’t get it done. You’ve got to execute.”

The Lakers were thoroughly trounced 110-89 in Game 4, and their superstar’s curious performance seemed to be about more than just his injured ankle, knee, hamstring and finger. A Lakers spokesman confirmed Monday that Bryant’s broken index finger on his shooting hand has healed, but he’s now bothered by unrelated arthritis in the same digit.

Bryant didn’t take a shot until 9:06 remained in the second quarter, and he was a shadow of his usual assertive self. He finished with 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting, sitting out the fourth quarter to get a head start on the series’ first two-day break.

Bryant shot just two free throws after getting none in Game 3, clearly indicating he wasn’t driving to the basket with regularity. Bryant scored 24 points in Game 3, but also went 2 for 10 in the fourth quarter of a five-point loss.

Although ample playoff history suggests only Kobe can stop Kobe, he credited his unimpressive numbers to the Thunder’s defense and a team-wide attempt to get the ball inside.

“(Oklahoma City) is a young team that plays hard, that’s playing with house money, so they go in there and let it all hang out,” Bryant said. “It’s a series, it’s a challenge. It’s how playoff basketball should be.”
Yet Bryant was his usual take-charge self during much of the series’ first two games in Los Angeles. He scored 39 points in Game 2, earning 15 free throws and generally disrupting the Thunder’s potent transition game by taking much of the Lakers’ offensive responsibility on his shoulders, freeing up his teammates to worry about defense and rebounding.

“We put so much focus on him,” Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. “We’re just trying to make him make some tough shots, and he’s able to make those tough shots from time to time, but it’s hard every game, every possession if you have to make the tough shots. We’ve done a good job on him. That doesn’t mean anything in Game 5. He’s one of the best players.”
When he wants to be.

On rare occasions during his years in Los Angeles, Bryant has been done similar disappearing acts, leaving the Lakers’ offense without its central component. Bryant attributed each instance to a specific cause, whether it’s illness, injury or wanting to get his teammates more involved.

One of the most memorable no-shows occurred late in the 2004 regular season, when Bryant took just one shot in the first half of a critical game in Sacramento. He straightfacedly attributed his passivity to the stellar defense of the Kings, a decidedly average defensive club—and many interpreted his effort as a way of reasserting his dominance on that fractured team, which lost to Detroit in the NBA finals before Shaquille O’Neal’s departure for Miami.

Coach Phil Jackson accepted Bryant’s version of events in Oklahoma City, while veteran point guard Derek Fisher said he was “somewhat” certain Bryant was trying to jump-start Los Angeles’ offense by feeding 7-footers Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

The Lakers were much more worried about their transition game than Bryant’s offense Monday, repeatedly stating their determination to get back on defense to slow the fleet-footed Thunder’s breakout chances. Gasol and Bynum both acknowledged being worried about Oklahoma City’s growing confidence.

“We can’t afford to lose this game,” Gasol said. “We want to establish ourselves and send a message to them that they might be playing well and won two games at home, but that’s all they’re going to get. … They’re coming in with the momentum, an eighth seed with nothing to lose, but we need to make a statement in Game 5 that there’s no chance, there’s no light.”

NOTES: The Lakers are 17-0 at home in the fifth game of a playoff series tied 2-2. … Lakers F Josh Powell also didn’t practice while his wife gave birth. … G Sasha Vujacic is off crutches, but still isn’t ready to return from his ankle injury. Vujacic isn’t certain whether he could be ready by the second round. … C DJ Mbenga had a second laser surgery on his eye to repair two retinal holes. Mbenga, who won’t play in Game 5, got elbowed in the head during practice. … The Thunder practiced at home Monday before flying to California.

ARTICLE SOURCE HERE

Ron Harper says Lakers have to wake up, and shape up

Harper, who won five NBA titles as a player, two with Lakers, calls out his former team in advance of Tuesday’s pivotal Game 5 against Oklahoma City. In particular, he wants to know when Ron Artest, Lamar Odom and Jordan Farmar are going to show up.

Ron Harper has called out the Lakers all the way from his home in New Jersey.Harper specifically called out Ron Artest, Lamar Odom and Jordan Farmar, wondering when they are going to "show up" for the Lakers in the Western Conference first-round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.Harper feels as if he still has ties, and allegiance, to the Lakers, with whom he won his last two NBA titles in 2000 and 2001.He won those rings with Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher and Brian Shaw, now an assistant with the Lakers. Harper won five NBA championships total, all for Coach Phil Jackson, including three in Chicago.

Game 5 is Tuesday and Harper has plenty of questions for the Lakers in a best-of-seven series that's tied at 2-2."Who is going to show up for L.A. in Game 5? They need somebody besides Kobe," he said. "And I ain't talking about the offensive end. I'm talking about on defense."Especially in transition defense, where the speedy Thunder has run the ball down the Lakers' throats.The Lakers keep saying they have to get back on defense. They said the same thing after practice Monday.

After the Thunder had 24 fastbreak points in Game 3 and 23 in Game 4, the Lakers know they must get back on defense."One problem I've got with L.A. is I want to know who is going to put the flame out," Harper said. "I know Kobe will. He's going to come out and shoot the ball in Game 5 — and he should."Who's going to be the man to say, ‘I'm guarding him?' They are all hiding. Who is going to say, ‘I'm putting it all on the line?'"Will the real Ron Artest start playing? At times, you see the real one.

At times you don't see the real Ron Artest."Where's Lamar Odom been at? Somebody needs to put an ad on a milk carton and ask, ‘Where's Lamar Odom?' He ain't showed up."That kid [Russell] Westbrook is having his way with all those [Lakers] guards," Harper continued. "Farmar is the fastest guard they got, right? Looks to me like Farmar is scared of that kid."Artest has played good defense on Kevin Durant, but has been abysmal on offense, making 30% of his shots, 13% of his three-point attempts.Odom is shooting 40.6% from the field in this series, and averaging just 7.8 points and 6.5 rebounds a game. Farmar is making 35.3% of his shots, 18.2% from three-point range, and his defense has been shaky.Harper had a warning for the Lakers."They have to win Game 5," Harper said. "They don't win Game 5, they are going to lose the series. The series is over."

ARTICLE SOURCE HERE

Lakers' back may be against the wall, but at least it isn't hurting

First-round series with Thunder is tied 2-2, prompting Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum to call Tuesday's Game 5 at Staples Center a must-win. But Kobe Bryant's knee and finger injuries are continuing issues for defending champions, coming off two losses in Oklahoma City.

It was laughable to think the Lakers would face a must-win situation against Oklahoma City in April after beating the Thunder back in December, improving to 23-4 while the Thunder fell to 13-14.But there was not much hilarity around the Lakers' practice facility Monday going into a pivotal Game 5 against the Thunder at Staples Center.A Lakers loss Tuesday means the unthinkable — a possible elimination game Friday in Oklahoma City, against a franchise they had defeated 12 consecutive times before losing there last month by 16 points and last week by five and 21 points.

Their hopes of a championship repeat currently come down to a victory in Game 5, their best-of-seven series tied at two games each."Of course it's a must-win," Andrew Bynum said Monday. "We have to go out there and win. There's nothing else really to that."Kobe Bryant did not practice Monday to rest a right knee that was swollen enough to require almost round-the-clock attention in Oklahoma City, his day sometimes starting at 4:30 a.m. to begin massage therapy and other treatment.Bryant's knee is improving incrementally — "I feel good right now," he said Monday — and the fracture in his right index finger has officially healed, though Bryant remains bothered by arthritis in a joint in the finger that will probably still warrant a protective device.

He knows his elevation has been lacking because of the knee. He has shot only 38.4% this series, the most inaccurate he has been in the playoffs since shooting 38.2% as a rookie in nine postseason games in 1997."It's been tough," he said. "Some nights have been tougher than others."The Lakers have the advantage of returning home after getting shelled in their last five quarters at Ford Center, but the pressure is squarely on them. Oklahoma City, after all, is ecstatic to be tied in this series after losing four of its last six regular-season games, prompting Bryant to acknowledge the Thunder is on a roll while "playing with house money."History is also placing some importance on Tuesday's game. The Lakers are 17-0 in best-of-seven series when they win Game 5 at home."We can't afford to lose this game," Pau Gasol said. "It's really a game where we want to establish ourselves, send a message to them that they might be playing well, they played really well at home, they got two games, but that's all they're going to get."Bryant didn't sense the need to peddle any panic while talking to reporters Monday.

He was annoyed by the context of some questions lobbed in his direction."Who said our backs are against the wall?" said Bryant, who has played in 179 playoff games. "It's a 2-2 series. What the hell is going on around here?"The Lakers had to scale down Monday's practice because only nine players were on the court. Bryant was out, DJ Mbenga was sidelined after undergoing more surgery on his left retina Sunday night, Josh Powell was at his wife's side for the birth of their child, and Sasha Vujacic continued to miss time because of a sprained left ankle.The Lakers will target one area in particular in Game 5: Oklahoma City has run them off the court this series, outscoring them in fastbreak points by a staggering 72-17 margin."We've got to get our [butt] back," Bryant said. "It's as simple as that. Their speed is remarkable.

We're obviously not as fast as they are, nowhere near."It starts with a more balanced offense and fewer outside shots. The Lakers averaged 26.5 three-point attempts per game in Oklahoma City, way too high for Coach Phil Jackson's liking."A sound offense provides rebounding and defensive balance," he said.The Lakers have one thing going for them: Jackson will not be penalized for comments last week after saying NBA Commissioner David Stern is too "heavy-handed" in threatening to suspend coaches who criticize referees, according to a league source who requested anonymity.Vujacic updateVujacic said his sprained ankle was healing quickly and he hoped to return at some point in the next round if the Lakers get that far."My ankle is looking much better," he said. "I've started walking slowly and, of course, I'll do everything possible to be there."

ARTICLE SOURCE CLICK HERE

4-27 Injury Update: Sasha Vujacic

Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic addressed media members for the first time since severely spraining his left ankle in the final game of the regular season, having ditched his crutches a few days ago while keeping a walking boot.

“My ankle is definitely getting better, and I’m excited to be back in a few weeks, hopefully two,” he said.

Certainly better than it looked in this picture.

Vujacic explained that he is not sure whether he will be available should the Lakers advance to the second round; obviously his goal is to return as soon as possible, but his rehabilitation program has no specific return date. Sitting out, of course, has been anything but east.

“The worst thing that could happen to an athlete or someone that wants to win and be out there,” said the Slovenian. “I’m trying to stay positive and put it behind me.”

Since the initial injury, on April 14, Vujacic and L.A.’s training staff has focused on reducing the swelling in the ankle and getting his range of motion back. The next step will be to strengthen the ankle.

In the meantime, Vujacic said he’s taken to shooting while seated in a chair, which isn’t much of a surprise.

ARTICLE SOURCE HERE

Lakers get drilled by the Thunder

Flash-forward to Saturday, where the Lakers found themselves at the lowest point of their title-defending season, losing again to Oklahoma City amid a haze of blurry white jerseys and eardrum-splitting fans.

The Lakers didn't lose as much as they were flattened at Ford Center, 110-89, trailing by as many as 29 while their best-of-seven series was tied up at 2-2.Kobe Bryant had only 12 points, their plan to pound the ball down low was fully unsuccessful, and a top-seeded team has lost a series to an eighth-seeded team only three times in 52 chances in NBA history, a reality that needed to be revisited after another Lakers flop.Game 5 is Tuesday at Staples Center, perhaps the only kind words to be said about the Lakers on Saturday.Bryant had a peculiar game, making five of 10 shots and getting four assists in 31 minutes.

He was in facilitator mode most of the time, apparently buying into the game plan of feeding the big men, for better or worse.It didn't exactly work.Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum had identical stats, each scoring 13 points on five-for-10 shooting, not nearly enough of a boost against a young, frothing Thunder defense.The Lakers wanted more free throws after a large disparity in Game 3, but they wasted too many trips to the line in Game 4 to justify much of anything, making only 17 of 28 free throws (60.7%).

Oklahoma City was 42 for 48 from the line and almost tied the Lakers' playoff opponent record of 43 made free throws by Boston in 1984.Bryant made one of two free throws in Game 4 after not getting there at all in Game 3.Lakers Coach Phil Jackson is 44-0 in a playoff series when his teams win Game 1, but that streak doesn't look as stable as it did a week ago.Jackson was hopeful before the game that Ron Artest or Lamar Odom would step up, saying Gasol and Bryant needed "a couple guys to chip in and help out."Odom had 12 points and Artest had five points on two-for-nine shooting, continuing to miss three-point shots at an alarming rate, now three for 23 in the series (13%) after missing all four of his long-distance attempts Saturday.The first quarter had belonged firmly to the Lakers this series, but then came Saturday, the Thunder grabbing a 29-17 lead.

Bryant had no points and no shots in the quarter as the Lakers began trying to pound the ball down low, with varying degrees of success.The Thunder led by 15 when Bryant took his a first shot, a successful three-pointer, with 9:06 left in the second quarter.The Lakers were still in trouble early in the third quarter, down 58-42 after Thabo Sefolosha made three free-throw attempts after being fouled by Bryant on a shot beyond the arc.It only got worse for the Lakers.All the talk before the game was about getting the ball down low."We have to make sure we make ourselves big enough targets so our guards feel comfortable throwing those passes in there," Gasol said beforehand.The Lakers outscored the Thunder in the paint, 44-36, but the Thunder practically ran them off the court, destroying them in fastbreak points, 24-2.Bad night for the Lakers in a series that's also heading that way for them.

ARTICLE SOURCE HERE

Lakers-Thunder Game 4 Preview

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)—There’s no doubting that Kevin Durant can score.
But it took some convincing for the NBA’s scoring champion to believe that he could really impact a game when his shots weren’t going in—a lesson that proved crucial to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 27-win improvement this season.“A lot of coaches say—it’s something I didn’t believe but—`If you do other things, then your scoring’s going to come around.’ I’m like, `No, that’s not true because if you’re off, you’re off, right?”’ he said. “But it does happen. It does help. It gives you confidence that your next shot’s going to go down.”

Durant has been regarded as a potent scorer since he entered the league after being named college player of the year at Texas, then averaged 20 points during his Rookie of the Year campaign when the franchise was still in Seattle.

Defense was a different story.
The SuperSonics gave up the fourth-most points in the NBA in Durant’s rookie year and little changed during the franchise’s first few months in Oklahoma City. The tide started to turn midway through last season but it wasn’t until Durant’s slow shooting start to begin this season that he really bought into all the aspects of the game outside racking up points.

By Game 3 of Oklahoma City’s first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, Durant had developed enough on the defensive end that he was asking to guard Kobe Bryant in the fourth quarter. He limited Bryant to 2-for-10 shooting while rediscovering his offense to lead the Thunder to a 101-96 win.
“That’s a very important lesson. The game of basketball, offensively you’re not going to be on every game. It’s just impossible,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said.

“The greatest players of all times had bad shooting games and bad shooting slumps. He’s done a better job with that this year—but now he fully understands that. You have to do other things that help your team win.”
Durant, who averaged 30.1 points this season to become the NBA’s youngest scoring champion, was quick to shy away from the sudden defensive accolades leading up to Game 4 on Saturday night in Oklahoma City.
“Kobe Bryant is the best player in the world and some of those shots he missed just because he missed. Maybe two or three of the shots I made him miss,” said Durant, who leaped to swat away one Bryant jumper during Oklahoma City’s decisive 10-2 run.

“But other than that, he just missed shots and I know he’s going to come back more focused and more ready for the fourth game. But hopefully he misses those shots he’s going to take next game.”
The 6-foot-6 Bryant gives up nearly half a foot to Durant, who’s listed conservatively at 6-9.

“He’s long. He’s 7 feet. I don’t know that he wants to admit that he’s 7 feet but he’s 7 foot,” Bryant said. “He has great agility, great mobility and caught us all by surprise a little bit.”

Brooks said Durant’s fourth-quarter success wouldn’t change his plan to rotate defenders against Bryant. Thabo Sefolosha, Oklahoma City’s defensive stopper, has logged the most minutes against Bryant while forward Jeff Green and reserve James Harden have also guarded him.

“It’s very unique for a team to be able to do that,” Bryant said. “It just shows how athletic they are. … I’ve got a pretty good feel for how to play against Harden, Thabo and Green. When they were in Seattle, Green guarded me the majority of the time. Thabo obviously guards me the majority of the time now, and Harden, so I’ve got a pretty good feel for those guys.”

Bryant took four games off near the end of the regular season to rest a variety of injuries, including a broken right index finger and a sore right knee, and said he still isn’t 100 percent “but I don’t need to be.”
He finished with 24 points on 10-for-29 shooting in Game 3, after scoring 39 and taking over in the fourth quarter of Game 2.

“Playing against guys with the length of Sefolosha, Durant and guys in the past that he’s played against that like to use their length against him, it’s important that he has a base and that he has his legs under him,” veteran teammate Derek Fisher said. “I’m, I guess, not as concerned as everybody else about his numbers or statistically how it’s playing out.”

Brooks had rarely deployed Durant to guard Bryant during four regular-season meetings or the first two playoff games before making the move Thursday night.

“It’s not easy to make him miss shots, but Kevin has an impact just because of his length and his activity,” Brooks said. “It’s hard to imagine us being a good defensive team without him. He’s been one of our better defenders, and it’s one of the reasons why we’ve improved this year is that he’s committed to playing defense.”

The only question now is whether it’ll work again.
“It won’t catch me by surprise, that’s for sure,” Bryant said. “Whether or not it’s effective, we’ll see.”

ARTICLE SOURCE HERE

Can Durant catch Bryant off guard?

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Suddenly the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder first-round series has must-see TV appeal, with your host Kobe Bryant and musical guest Kevin Durant.

Bryant is still the megawatt name compared with Durant, who is experiencing the spotlight treatment of the playoffs for the first time. Coming into the series, we wondered if Bryant would find his shot and be fresh after resting four of the Lakers' last five regular-season games and we questioned if Durant, in only his third year in the league, was ready for this big of a stage.

We thought we would watch them separately on either end, with Bryant trying to dissect the defense of Thabo Sefolosha and Durant trying to resist Ron Artest. But then the 21-year-old Durant switched onto the 31-year-old Bryant for the fourth quarter of Game 3 and 12 minutes of harassing defense later, Bryant had a 2-for-10 shooting mark for the period and the Thunder had a win, drawing the series to 2-1.

"I shot the ball extremely poorly," Bryant said of his 10-for-29 field goal total in Game 3. "I think Durant's length had something to do with it. It caught me off guard."

Bryant is averaging 28.0 points per game in the series, but is shooting just 36.8 percent from the field.
From time to time Bryant will guard the opposing team's best offensive player, but usually not until the fourth quarter so he can save his energy for offense the rest of the game.

Can Durant tell Sefolosha to worry about Ron Artest and tell Jeff Green to stay home on Pau Gasol and guard Bryant exclusively from the start of Saturday's Game 4?

"Sure," Bryant said. "I would & Durant's 7-feet [tall] and he's chasing me around."
Durant, who is actually 6-9 with a 7-5 wingspan, is used to having hyperbole hurled his way about his offense -- he became the youngest scoring champion in NBA history this season with his 30.1 points per game average -- but not for his defense.

Durant is putting up nearly identical offensive numbers to Bryant through three games, averaging 28.3 points on 36.5 percent shooting from the field. Even though his shooting has been off, he's shown that he's ready for primetime. Two years ago the Lakers played a similarly talented 23-year-old Carmelo Anthony in the first round and Anthony averaged just 22.5 points on 36.4 percent shooting, picking up more technical fouls (one) than the Nuggets did wins, losing the series in a sweep by an average of 13.3 points per game.

"Kobe Bryant is the best player in the world," Durant said on Friday. "Some of those shots he missed, maybe two or three of those shots were me, but other than that, he just missed shots. I know next time, he's going to come back more focused and more ready for the fourth game. Hopefully, he'll miss those shots he takes the next game.

"I just try to use my length. I don't know if I'm a tough matchup. I'm sure he's seen many different defenders. Thirteen years in the league, I'm sure he's seen defenders like myself. I just try to play as hard as I can. If he makes shots, I can't get down on myself, because like I said, he makes tough shots. It's all about playing hard and relying on my teammates."

Bryant joined in the mutual admiration society.

"He's a very intelligent basketball player, on top of being physically skilled and being able to do all the things that he can do," Bryant said about Durant. "He has a high basketball IQ."

Bryant wore a bright yellow T-shirt at Friday's practice with a black and white dot matrix photo of his likeness printed on the front of it, Nike capturing a moment of his athletic artistry and making it wearable. He was asked about Durant's emerging superstardom, while the line of questions about him wondered how aging was affecting his game.

"During the regular season, for sure [if affected me]," Bryant said. "I played through games where I could barely walk, where I could barely catch a ball."

Bryant said he still isn't 100 percent because of his fractured finger, sore left ankle and overrun right knee.
"I'm getting there, but I don't need to be," he said before taking Friday's practice off, wrapping his right knee in ice and grabbing a clipboard to diagram ways the team can free up their post players in Game 4 with Andrew Bynum for a good 10 minutes as the team stretched out at center court. It will turn out to be the best 10 minutes he had all day if the strategizing works in Game 4.

"You got to play a little different, but I haven't completely fallen off," Bryant said, opting for the subtle approach rather than pointing to his T-shirt and saying, "This dude still exists, you know."

But the image on his T-shirt more accurately depicts Durant these days, a dynamic force leading a team of upstarts who will only go as far as he carries them. Bryant's team, on the other hand, has enough talent to win without him going full throttle.

"I'm sure Kobe will figure anything out," Artest said about playing against Durant.
Now, if only he can figure out he doesn't need to be the guy on the T-shirt anymore.

CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE SOURCE

Lakers' Jackson: Stern's threats "heavy-handed"

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)

Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson believes commissioner David Stern's threat of harsher punishments for comments critical of NBA referees was a ``heavy-handed'' way to deal with what he called ``gamesmanship'' by coaches in the playoffs.

Stern issued a ``make my day'' warning to the league's players and coaches while doling out a round of fines to players and coaches on the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics on Thursday. Jackson has been fined $35,000 twice this month, most recently for commenting about the fouls called against players guarding Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, who led the NBA in free throws this season.

The Lakers lead their best-of-seven series against the Thunder 2-1 entering Game 4 on Saturday night.
``When you start throwing one- and two-game suspensions in the threats, I think that means a lot to both ball clubs and to coaches,'' Jackson said before practice Friday. ``It seems awful heavy-handed to me, but David is one, he isn't shy about being heavy-handed.

``There's a certain gamesmanship that goes on that obviously he feels cheapens the game.''
Stern said Thursday night that he wished he could go back two decades and start issuing fines and suspensions against Jackson and former rival Pat Riley to eliminate ``corrosive'' comments that erode fans' trust in NBA officiating.

``It's not an objective thing. We try to make it objective, but it's subjective,'' Jackson said. ``People definitely lean a certain way. I think statistically you could prove that. But we try to do the best we can do, and I think the referees do a good job with what they've got.''

Jackson said a key to the Lakers' Game 3 loss to Oklahoma City was that the Thunder shot 22 more free throws. But he credited that discrepancy to more aggressive play by the home team.

Kobe Bryant didn't attempt a single free throw, after failing to get to the foul line only three times in 73 regular-season games, but hesitated to address why while sitting at the same podium where Stern had issued his threat only hours earlier.

``I'm not quite sure how to answer that,'' Bryant said. ``Yeah. Both teams played hard.''

CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE SOURCE

Lakers vs. Thunder Game 3 (Final ): Thunder 101, Lakers 96

Oklahoma City roared back in the fourth quarter to beat the Lakers, 101-96, as the young Thunder won their first game of the series.

Kevin Durant hit two free throws with 13 seconds left to secure the win.
Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 27 points, including 10 in the final quarter. Durant also did a fine job defending Kobe Bryant; Bryant missed 8 of 10 shots in the fourth quarter. Durant scored 29 points despite a poor shooting night.

At one point in the final quarter the Lakers went nearly four minutes without scoring. The Lakers lead the series, 2-1, with the Game 4 scheduled for Saturday night.

Another source:

OKLAHOMA CITY(AP) Kevin Durant had 29 points and 19 rebounds, and snapped out of a shooting funk just in time to lead the decisive run in the first playoff game played in Oklahoma City, lifting the Thunder to a 101-96 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

Durant and Russell Westbrook scored 22 of the final 23 for the Thunder, including every point during a 10-2 surge that put Oklahoma City ahead to stay.

The top-seeded Lakers got back within 98-96 on Kobe Bryant's driving layup with 13.5 seconds left, but the Thunder closed it out from the foul line to pull within 2-1 in the seven-game series. Game 4 is Saturday night in Oklahoma City. Bryant scored 24 points and Pau Gasol had 17 points and 15 rebounds.

ARTICLE SOURCE HERE

Lakers - Thunder Game 3 Preview

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)—Back when the Thunder were 3-29 last season, the notion of the playoffs coming to Oklahoma City any time soon was unimaginable.

But it was that same miserable stretch that made general manager Sam Presti confident that coach Scott Brooks was the right man to lead his team into the future.While Oklahoma City struggled to the worst start in the NBA, Presti was impressed by the way Brooks stayed the course and never tried to force immediate changes in hopes of making the Thunder better. He has now taken the youngest roster in the league and turned the team into a 50-game winner and a playoff team just one season after the horrendous start.

For that best-in-the NBA turnaround, Brooks was recognized Wednesday as the NBA’s coach of the year. He received 71 of 123 first-place votes and 480 points to finish ahead of Milwaukee’s Scott Skiles (26 first-place votes, 313 points) and Portland’s Nate McMillan (9, 107).

“He’s someone that I think is incredibly consistent as a person. He is unaffected through adversities and also through successes, and I think that’s an important quality we want to have as we move forward,” Presti said.
Even as he was receiving a statue of Red Auerbach, Brooks faced another daunting turnaround: an 0-2 deficit in the Thunder’s best-of-seven series against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant and coach Phil Jackson.

Game 3 is Thursday night in Oklahoma City.

“This is the first-time playoff experience for a lot of us, including myself, and you’re playing against one of the best coaches of all sports, one of the best players ever and a team that has 1,000 (games of) playoff experience to ours,” Brooks said. “But you learn from playing against the best players and the best teams, and we’re going to keep fighting and figuring out ways to beat them.”

While the Thunder didn’t immediately start winning after Brooks took over for the fired P.J. Carlesimo, there were signs of progress. His decision to move Kevin Durant from shooting guard to small forward increased his production, and the addition of Thabo Sefolosha and Nenad Krstic plus defensive-minded assistant Ron Adams started to pay dividends, too.

“We were improved once he took over as the coach. We still lost some games that were tough but we were learning and we were getting better each day in practice,” said Durant, who developed into the NBA’s youngest scoring champion this season.

“I knew if we continued to do that and not come in and just say, `Our season’s done. Ain’t no need to practice. Ain’t no need to work hard.’ We still came in and worked every day, and he made sure he brought it every day as a coach.”

Brooks can sound like a broken record at times, harping on Oklahoma City’s need to constantly improve every day, but it’s exactly the tune that Presti wants to hear. It’s why he gave Brooks a multi-year contract at the end of last season even though the Thunder had only gone 22-47 under his leadership.

Of the eight NBA interim coaches with losing records over the past three seasons, only Brooks and Toronto’s Jay Triano got a chance to come back for another try. That patience paid off with a 27-win turnaround that brought the franchise its first playoff appearance since 2004-05 in Seattle.

Making the improvement even more unbelievable is that it came without a significant free agent signing. Instead, it’s primarily the same group of players as last season plus rookies James Harden, Serge Ibaka and Eric Maynor.

“They’re coachable. I’ve been around young, talented, non-coachable players. I’ve been around veteran, talented, non-coachable players,” Brooks said. “No matter what you do, sooner or later—even if a coach comes in that’s able to connect with them—if that’s who they are, they’re going to go back to it.”

Forward Nick Collison, who has been with the franchise longer than any current player, said Brooks’ strength is that he’s “not a guy that likes to just hear himself speak.”

“The thing that sticks out with me is he’s got a really good pulse what’s going on with the team,” Collison said. “He can sense when we’re slipping a little bit and kind of light a fire under us or get on us. Or he can sense when maybe we need a little confidence and not push so hard and try to pick us up a little bit.”

Brooks played 11 seasons in the NBA and was a reserve on Houston’s 1994 NBA championship team. He got his coaching start in the ABA before George Karl hired him as an NBA assistant in 2003. Presti gave him an interview for the SuperSonics’ head coaching position in 2007 and then asked Carlesimo to bring him in as an assistant.

“I think the things that shaped him into the type of player he was in the NBA are similar to the type of things that made him a successful coach, and that is consistency, passion for the game and an appreciation for hard work and humility,” Presti said. “Those are the kind of attributes that we want to continue to try to bring into our organization.”

ARTICLE SOURCE HERE

Lakers expect series against Thunder to be defensive

The Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder have been playing tough defense in the Western Conference first-round playoff opener.

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said he expected the best-of-seven series his team led 2-0 to be the same way for however the series lasted.

Games 3 and 4 are in Oklahoma City on Thursday and Saturday night, respectively.

The Lakers are holding the Thunder to 85.5 points per game and 39.2% shooting in the first two games.
The Thunder is holding the Lakers to 91 points and 39.7% shooting.

"I think both teams have shown defensively that they are very aggressive, very active," Jackson said after practice Wednesday before the Lakers boarded their 2 p.m. flight to Oklahoma City. "That seems to be the theme of this playoffs right now."

Kobe Bryant, who is averaging 30 points on 38.3% shooting in the first two playoffs games, is closing in on another milestone.

Bryant is 16 points shy of tying former Laker Jerry West (4,457 points) for the franchise's all-time leading playoff scorer.

If Bryant (4,441) surpasses West, he'll become the NBA's fifth all-time scorer in the playoffs.
Andrew Bynum didn't practice Wednesday because of soreness in his left Achilles' tendon. Bynum, who missed the last 13 regular-season games recovering from the injury, got treatment and said he will play.

ARTICLE SOURCE HERE

Lakers vs. Thunder Game 2 Updates (Final, Lakers win, 95-92) Final score, Lakers 95, Thunder 92

No one said it would be easy. And it came down to the very end as the Lakers pulled out a 95-92 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder to take a 2-0 lead in the best of seven first round series.
In the end Kobe Bryant was the star scoring 39 points. However, his miss of a free throw with 15 seconds left, allowed the Thunder a chance to tie the game. But Kevin Durant missed a three with 7 seconds to go.
Pau Gasol was fouled on the rebound and missed the front end and the Thunder had one more chance. But Jeff Green missed a three and the Lakers escaped.

--Want Quater Break downs Click Link--



ARTICLE SOURCE HERE

Chick Hearn is honored with a Staples statue

The rain ended just in time, perhaps knowing it could never stop Chick Hearn in his days as a Lakers broadcaster,

so why cause an issue at the unveiling of his bronze statue Tuesday outside Staples Center.The man who once called 3,338 consecutive Lakers games — getting there every time despite rain, snow or otherwise — is shown sitting at a table while wearing a headset, looking like he's midsentence while calling a game.

A chair next to him remains open, allowing fans to take photographs in it.Hearn's widow, Marge, was the first to sit in the chair after the 45-minute ceremony in front of a crowd of about 500. She kissed her right hand and then placed it gently on the cheek of her husband's statue."This is as good as it gets, to have this in your life," she said. "Fabulous day. Just fabulous."Byron Scott and James Worthy spoke during the ceremony, emceed by Lakers TV color commentator Stu Lantz and attended by numerous Lakers luminaries and personnel including Kurt Rambis, Bill Sharman, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Norm Nixon, Rick Fox, Mitch Kupchak, Jeanie Buss and former Lakers TV producer Susan Stratton.

"We miss him terribly," Scott said. "Chick could make you feel the game. He had that type of ability. He was the greatest that ever did it and the best to ever do it."Hearn joins Magic Johnson, Wayne Gretzky and Oscar De La Hoya as the statues in front of Staples Center. Hearn's statue weighs 5,000 pounds and was created by Omri Amrany."No matter what neighborhood you came from … Chick created that harmony, that family," Worthy said. "It all started with the voice of Chick Hearn. He was a special, special man. He lives with us every day."Hearn was the Lakers' play-by-play announcer from 1961 to 2002.

No award, but new 'doRon Artest is still mad.He played the early part of this season at about 280 pounds after adding muscle during the off-season and, in a direct correlation in his mind, finished a distant sixth in the voting for NBA defensive player of the year."I probably would have been higher if I had been lighter for the whole season," Artest said. "Next year, I'm definitely going to come in lighter. I always wanted to play at 280 [pounds], and it just didn't work for me defensively. I lost 20 pounds during the season, which is pretty much unheard of, and I came back to almost my prime defensively.

"Orlando center Dwight Howard won the award for the second consecutive season, finishing with 576 voting points, followed by Atlanta forward Josh Smith (136 points). Artest totaled 29 points, receiving seven second-place votes and eight third-place votes.Kobe Bryant finished 12th with nine points, receiving one second-place vote and six third-place votes. The award was selected by 122 media members throughout the U.S. and Canada.Artest won the award once, in 2004."I had my chance to have two or three of them," he said. "One year, I got suspended, and I probably would have gotten it that year.

Another year, I got in a lot of trouble and Ben Wallace got it."Artest arrived Tuesday with a new look, the off-orange dye job in his hair replaced by purple and gold asymmetrical waves, and accompanied by a gold-dyed soul patch. There are no letters or characters in his hair.Artest said there was "no meaning" in his new look."Usually I always tell him what to do, but I just told him to go ahead and do it, and he did what he had to do," Artest said of his barber.

ARTICLE SOURCE HERE

Lakers-Thunder Game 2 Preview

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Phil Jackson wants a better sustained effort from the Lakers against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He got it for one quarter in the playoff opener, then watched the defending champions lose energy the rest of the way.The Lakers won 87-79 Sunday mostly on the strength of their dominating first quarter, in which 7-footers Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum scored and rebounded with abandon and the team shot 54 percent.

Although never losing the lead, the Lakers didn’t win another quarter and the Thunder got within six points with 3 1/2 minutes remaining.

“Our guys sustaining that effort is where we really have to keep working,” Jackson said after practice Monday. “The big issue with us is we have to have good court balance, take good shots so that their run-out opportunities aren’t available to them or they’re more difficult than they’ve been.”

A subdued Kobe Bryant said he shares Jackson’s concern, although he maintains that getting the win was the most important thing.

“We’ll do better,” he said. “The games are prettier when you score a lot of points and stuff like that, and that’s what we’re capable of doing but at the end of the day, defense and rebounding wins championships.”
Bryant scored 21 points on 6 of 19 shooting, but missed five of 12 free throws. He’s been bothered by a swollen right knee, a broken right index finger and a sore tendon in his left ankle, all of which contributed to his missing four out of the team’s final five games.

“His shot selection, he’s had to narrow that down a little bit because he can’t just elevate and get over people,” Jackson said. “In the second half, I thought he might have tired.”

Bryant went limited minutes on the practice court Monday, although Jackson said he arrived early to work on his shooting.

“He was very subdued when he was in the training room and in the video room,” the coach said. “I didn’t initiate a conversation but once with him.”

Lakers reserve center DJ Mbenga will be re-evaluated on Tuesday after undergoing retinal surgery. He was hit near his left eye twice in practice last week and will have to wear protective glasses if he’s cleared to play.
The Thunder will be looking for its first playoff win since moving from Seattle two years ago in Game 2 at Staples Center on Tuesday night.

“We can’t let them dictate our offense for us,” Jeff Green said. “We have to be more aggressive as far as getting to the rim, making them move side to side, not allowing them to set up on one side of the floor by zoning us up. It’s numerous things that we can do to have a better offensive game.”

The Lakers expect a better offensive effort from Kevin Durant in Game 2. The NBA’s scoring champion had 24 points—six under his average—on 7 of 24 shooting while being hounded by Ron Artest.

“Kevin is one of the great players in this league and all great players have nights like this,” Russell Westbrook said. “He’s going to find his way.”

Durant didn’t speak with reporters before practice Monday.

The Thunder played tentatively in the early going of Game 1, not surprising for the NBA’s youngest team.
“The second game, those nerves won’t be there and they’ll be more effective coming out of the gate,” Gasol predicted.

Thunder coach Scott Brooks said his team can’t defend any better than it did in the opener, but their offense must improve. Durant said he was frustrated by missing shots that had gone down for him in the regular season.

“Kevin is just going to have to keep working,” Brooks said. “He’s had some bad shooting nights, but what he needs to do is find other ways to help us win. He’s one of our better rebounders and he needs to be able to do that better.”

Jackson’s teams have never lost a playoff series after winning Game 1, going 44-for-44 with Chicago and the Lakers.

“This is a very good opportunity now to give them a good psychological hit,” Gasol said. “Get an even more convincing win in Game 2, then go to Oklahoma.”

ARTICLE SOURCE HERE

Ron Artest's defense on Kevin Durant is Pretty Special to Lakers

The Lakers forward isn't too impressed with himself even after helping force the league's leading scorer into missing 17 of 24 shots in the playoff opener.

Round 1 to the Wacko."I couldn't tell you what kind of job I did," said Ron Artest, looking completely confused after complete domination.Round 1 to the Ron-O-Lantern.

"I'm not going to fool myself into thinking I did anything special," said the carrot-topped Artest after handing the Lakers their opening playoff victory on a silver platter of elbows and effort.Round 1 to the Anti-Ariza."If somebody else did this, they'd be happy … but I'm not satisfied," said Artest after what were surely his three most satisfying hours of the season.He may profess to not know where he is, or who he is, or what he's doing, and after spending six months listening to his mind roam, you may be inclined to agree with him. But make no mistake: On this suffocating Sunday afternoon,

Ron Artest was completely cognizant of Kevin Durant.Artest shoved him, squeezed him, shouldered him, turned the league's leading scorer into just another confused tourist from Oklahoma City, Durant wandering aimlessly off the Staples Center court with 24 points on 24 shots after the Lakers' 87-79 victory over the Thunder.While Artest walked into more questions he could not answer.Did you flip the switch?''What does that mean?"Was Durant frustrated?''I don't know, I'm not sure, I didn't ask him."Nobody asked, but in a game in which Derek Fisher was repeatedly burned by Russell Westbrook while Kobe Bryant was repeatedly betrayed by his injuries – he uncomfortably missed five free throws and 13 shots –

the Lakers would not have shined if Artest did not do their dirty work.Durant missed his first three shots with Artest in his grill. Durant missed his last important shot – the Thunder trailing by six in the final two minutes – with Artest knocking him silly. In between, the lanky kid was bounced around from baseline to baseline, making just three baskets in the second half, overall making just one of eight three-balls, completely Thunder-struck."It was discouraging, especially for myself," Durant said.Overall, Durant missed 17 of those 24 shots, committed a game-high four turnovers, and didn't even dominate in what he does best.

After all the pregame talk from Lakers Coach Phil Jackson about Durant receiving favorable calls, the kid attempted one fewer free throw (11) than Bryant, while Artest did not complain much beyond a scrunched face."A couple of the calls were good," said Artest, who had five fouls. ''A couple of the other calls, I don't want to get fined."In all, a decent victory for the Lakers, but a bigger victory for the nutty new guy."He looked quick," Bryant said. "He looks like the Ron of old."

READ ARTICLE SOURCE HERE

Lakers defeat Thunder, 87-79, in playoff opener

Lakers 87, Thunder 79 (final)

The Lakers didn't really answer a lot of questions but did stop a frightening backslide when they beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 87-79, to take a 1-0 lead in their first-round best-of-seven Western Conference playoff series. Game 2 is Tuesday at the Staples Center.

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers in scoring with 21 points, while Pau Gasol added 19 and Andrew Bynum had 13. It was Bynum's ffirst game back after missing four weeks and two days. He finished with 11 rebounds.

Kevin Durant had 24 points to lead the Thunder and Russell Westbrook added 23. Durant was only seven-of-24 shooting from the field, including one of eight from three-point range.
Fourth quarter, 1:30, Lakers 84, Thunder 74

The Lakers got the lead back to eight when Pau Gasol made two free throws after being fouled by Russell Westbrook. But the Thunder got it back to an uncomfortable seven when Serge Ibaka made one of two free throws with 1:40 to play. Derek Fisher had a flash from the past when he sank a three-pointer to lengthen the lead to 10. It was his first field goal since the first quarter.

Fourth quarter, 2:45, Lakers 79, Thunder 73. The Lakers continue to struggle putting their opponent away, allowing the Thunder into a game they should probably be out of. While Andrew Bynum has made a big difference, Ron Artest picking up his fifth foul with 6:33 to play hurt.

Still, Kobe Bryant was the guy making the shots when they needed them. Jordan Farmar actually kept the Lakers ahead early in the fourth quarter with a two and a three.

But Bryant has also struggled at the line. Twice he missed both foul shots. The Thunder closed it to six points with about 3 1/2 minutes to play and missed a chance to close it to four.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Lakers - Thunder Playoff Preview

In our season-ending chat with Mitch Kupchak, the Lakers GM stuck to his earlier assessment that the team has earned the benefit of the doubt until the playoffs are over.

“At the end of the day, we’re not talking about an inexperienced roster or coaching staff, he said. “This team, based on what they’ve accomplished and not just recently deserves the chance to go into the playoffs and make any adjustments that they feel necessary. We all know that no matter what happened 10 days ago or three weeks ago, everybody will be evaluated based on how the season ends.”

That’s something Phil Jackson and his coaching staff, as well as Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher and the rest of the players recognize.

Sure, Jackson wasn’t pleased that the team (57-25) failed to win 60 games, but he acknowledged some of the reasons, namely health and an impatience for the second season to start.

The expectation within the team is that Kobe Bryant will figure out how to manage the fractured right index finger that led him to sit out the team’s final two games (“Come on man … He’s Kobe,” Lamar Odom might say). But when L.A. went without either Pau Gasol or Andrew Bynum (both missed 17 games) the team’s record was 19-13 (59%). When both played, the Lakers were 38-12 (76%).

And against the Lakers first round opponent, the youthful Oklahoma City Thunder led by the league’s top scorer in Kevin Durant, Bynum – who is expected to start after successfully working out for the first time since straining his Achilles on March 19 – averaged 19.3 points on just 11.7 shots in three regular season wins for L.A. He didn’t play in the team’s March 26 loss.
Bynum’s return allows Lamar Odom to go back to the bench, generally solidifying the Lakers. Yet perhaps the team’s biggest advantage is the experience not just of the team but of 10-time coaching champion Phil Jackson, who goes head-to-head with OKC’s Scott Brooks, coaching in his first playoff series.

With that in mind, we sat down for a video chat with assistant coach Jim Cleamons to break down the series with OKC, looked back at the team’s four regular season games and previewed each individual matchup, position-by-position, to make sure you’re all set as L.A. embarks on mission title defense.

Read more on Position break down click link!

ARTICLE SOURCE HERE

Phil Jackson enters the mind field

It cost the Lakers coach only $35,000 to get inside the head of Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant.
 

While the Lakers will begin their postseason at home, their dutiful coach has already strolled into an enemy camp, pitched a tent, started a fire, caused a mess.

 While the Lakers will host Oklahoma City , Phil Jackson will begin the playoffs inside Kevin Durant's head."Oh, no, here we go again,'' former Laker Rick Fox said with a laugh.Oh, yes, here we go again.Casually, caustically, it happens every spring. For brief moments in each of his 10 playoff runs here, the star whisperer has become a bleacher heckler, lobbing unexpected shots down at unsuspecting opponents, testing their patience, judging their mettle.He doesn't do it maliciously, but he doesn't do it accidentally.

He wants to know who is soft. He wants to know where to punch."He wants to know where you're at,'' Fox said.Once during a emotional series with the Sacramento Kings, Jackson called the city of Sacramento a ‘'cowtown.'' The fans lost their cool. The Kings lost their focus.Last year, in the middle of a tied conference championship series with the Denver Nuggets, Jackson essentially called Dahntay Jones a dirty player. Jones was indignant. His teammates were distracted.

The Nuggets were cooked.This year it's Kevin Durant's turn, the barely adolescent Thunder star accused by Jackson of being pampered by officials, Durant reacting in the sort of anger and hurt that could lead him to play outside himself come Sunday's opener.In other words, Durant reacted perfectly, the league's leading scorer brilliantly playing the part of Jackson's mark."That is Phil's method. He made those comments to see what's going on inside the kid's head,'' said Fox, who won three consecutive titles here with Jackson.

‘'Skill-wise, the kid is there. But maturity-wise, in dealing with a playoff atmosphere, he still has a long way to go.''Earlier this week, here's what Jackson said about Durant, who led the league in free throws: "I think a lot of the referees are treating him like a superstar.… He gets to the line easily and often…Yeah, by the calls he gets, he really gets to the line a lot, I'll tell ya. ... There's a couple of plays in the last game where I was pretty curious how he got there.''The line about the referees earned Jackson a $35,000 fine from NBA on Thursday, a relatively small rental fee for the right to occupy the mind of a guy who, when unburdened, has the size and quickness to dominate the Lakers' defense.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE