OKLAHOMA CITY – With offseason moves that raised the level of expectation for the Lakers, many expected them to assume the new role as the team to beat in the West. Â On Friday night, the Thunder proved that the Lakers may still have to put up a fight in order to take their place atop the Western Conference when they defeated LA 114-108.
The NBA’s two leading scorers faced off at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in front of another sellout crowd, and Oklahoma City fans were not disappointed. Â Kevin Durant led all scorers with 36 points, followed by Kobe Bryant with 35. Â Durant also added 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Â Russell Westbrook was unstoppable in the first half, scoring 27 of his 33 points in the first 24 minutes. Â He went 5 of 8 from long distance, a career high for the Thunder point guard, and dished out 8 assists.
In addition to their all-stars, the Thunder had three other players in double figures. Â Kevin Martin scored 11, Serge Ibaka added 14, and Nick Collison finished with 13. Â OKC’s big men had the formidable task of trying to keep Dwight Howard in check, but Howard still put up 23 points and got the double-double with 18 rebounds.
The Thunder led through much of the game, building a lead as large as 19 points after a huge second quarter in which they outscored the Lakers 41-26 to put them ahead 67-53 at the half. Â They would not relinquish the lead again, though the Lakers did manage to pull with 5 in the final minutes of the 4th quarter.
Even though the Lakers have struggled to live up to the expectations placed on them so far in this young season, a win over LA is always a good one for the Thunder. Â Next time, the task might be more difficult because the Lakers will hope to have Steve Nash back in their starting lineup the next time they face Oklahoma City. Â Until then, the Thunder will try to extend its seven game winning streak on Sunday when they will play the Indiana Pacers.