Kobe Bryant Leads Lakers Past Thunder

Originally Published: Apr 20, 2010 11:0 PM CDT

Recap | Box Score

Corey DeMoss
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

LOS ANGELES – Jeff Green’s potential game-tying 3-pointer rang off the rim as the buzzer sounded and sealed the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 95-92 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday.

Green’s final shot capped a back-and-forth ending. The Thunder trailed by five with slightly more than one minute remaining, but cut the advantage to one with 22 seconds left. Kobe Bryant then made one of two free throws, giving the Lakers a two-point advantage.

The Thunder ran a scripted inbound pass and Kevin Durant attempted a 3-pointer that would have given OKC the lead. When his shot rimmed out, Pau Gasol pulled down the rebound and drew a foul. Gasol missed one of his free throws, giving the Thunder one final chance to tie it.

The Los Angeles defense devoted three defenders to Durant, forcing him to give the ball up to Green. Green got a good look, but could not get the shot to fall. The Thunder now trails the Lakers 2-0 in the series.

The two teams fought through a hotly contested second half, with the Lakers’ six-point lead in the third quarter marking the biggest advantage either team held after halftime.

The Thunder made a concerted effort to increase its intensity under the basket, resulting in a barrage of blocked shots and turnovers. Serge Ibaka alone blocked seven shots, and OKC as a team blocked 17 and forced 16 turnovers.

Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol were the only Lakers who could generate consistent scoring opportunities, especially in the fourth quarter. Bryant finished with a game-high 39 and Gasol scored 25, while Bryant scored 15 of the Lakers’ 22 points in the final frame.

Kevin Durant went toe-to-toe with Bryant for most of the night, finishing with 32 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots. Russell Westbrook added 19 points and six rebounds, but missed extended time because of foul trouble early in the game.

The Thunder started slow for the second straight game, and the Lakers again used it to build a big first-quarter advantage. Los Angeles led by eight after the first, but for the second straight game let it slip away.

Oklahoma City started running a more fast-paced offense in the second quarter and used stingy defense to create scoring opportunities, a trend that would continue for the rest of the game. The Thunder closed the first half on a 21-8 run and led 47-45 going into the locker room, setting up the seesaw battle in the second half.

The teams will travel to Oklahoma City for the first NBA Playoff game in the city’s history at 8:30 p.m. Thursday.