OKC takes it to the World Champions and even series 2-2.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK–It’s a little too early to start saying it’s a David and Goliath story, but it’s close.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, who just a year ago were mired in a 20-win season and fresh off relocation from Seattle are now contenders to perhaps knock off the defending NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers after handing them their sneakers on Saturday night 110-89. The victory evened the best-of-7 series at two games each.
The Thunder’s Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook once again dominated the scoresheet, scoring some 40 points between them (Durant 22, Westbrook 18) and Jeff Green was the Windex man as he grabbed 9 boards in the contest. Durant only missed two foul shots and shot 6-12 in the game while Westbrook was flawless from the line and shot 6-11 with 8 rebounds.
Tulsa 66ers center Byron Mullens saw action in Saturday’s game, shooting a free throw for his only point in a little over four minutes of play. Mullens has traveled back and forth from Tulsa to OKC several times this season, landing in OKC for the playoffs.
None of the Lakers managed to score any higher than 13 points in the game which saw future hall-of-famer Kobe Bryant go 5-10 from the floor and drain only one three point shot for 12 points, and Andrew Bynum managed to grab 10 rebounds in the game providing the Lakers only other outstanding statistic. Indeed, the world champions seemed sluggish and somewhat overwhelmed by the sellout crowd in the Ford Center, who all wore white t-shirts in support of the Thunder.
The scene now shifts to Los Angeles and game 5 in the Staples Center, and the two victories in Oklahoma City have guaranteed the Thunder yet another game in their home arena, where the home crowd has factored itself to be a sixth man of sorts. The game will be carried live on TNT (cable-29) at 9:30pm. Game 6 will be live from the Ford Center, carried live on Fox Sports Oklahoma (cable-27).
| Los Angeles Lakers (57-25) | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| field goalsrebounds | ||||||||||||||||
| pos | min | fgm-a | 3pm-a | ftm-a | +/- | off | def | tot | ast | pf | st | to | bs | ba | pts | |
| R. Artest | F | 28:35 | 2-9 | 0-4 | 1-2 | -15 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| P. Gasol | F-C | 30:03 | 5-10 | 0-0 | 3-6 | -22 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 13 |
| A. Bynum | C | 29:50 | 5-10 | 0-0 | 3-4 | -19 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 13 |
| K. Bryant | G | 32:04 | 5-10 | 1-1 | 1-2 | -14 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 12 |
| D. Fisher | G | 28:35 | 4-7 | 3-6 | 0-2 | -15 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| L. Odom | 22:47 | 6-12 | 0-1 | 0-2 | -17 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | |
| S. Brown | 21:27 | 2-8 | 0-3 | 6-6 | -9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 10 | |
| J. Farmar | 20:28 | 1-7 | 0-5 | 2-3 | -9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| J. Powell | 07:53 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | +9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| A. Morrison | 04:18 | 2-3 | 0-1 | 0-0 | +4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| L. Walton | 08:33 | 1-3 | 0-1 | 0-0 | -5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| D. Mbenga | 05:27 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 1-1 | +7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| Total | 240 | 34-82 | 4-22 | 17-28 | 10 | 33 | 43 | 19 | 30 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 89 | ||
| 41.5% | 18.2% | 60.7% | team rebs: 11 | total to: 11 | ||||||||||||
| Oklahoma City Thunder (50-32) | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| field goalsrebounds | ||||||||||||||||
| pos | min | fgm-a | 3pm-a | ftm-a | +/- | off | def | tot | ast | pf | st | to | bs | ba | pts | |
| K. Durant | F | 31:28 | 6-12 | 1-4 | 9-11 | +19 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 22 |
| J. Green | F | 38:17 | 5-17 | 2-7 | 3-4 | +21 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 |
| N. Krstic | C | 20:51 | 2-8 | 0-0 | 3-3 | +11 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| T. Sefolosha | G | 24:06 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 3-3 | +7 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| R. Westbrook | G | 29:11 | 6-11 | 0-0 | 6-6 | +17 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| N. Collison | 21:42 | 1-7 | 0-0 | 2-2 | +17 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | |
| J. Harden | 24:02 | 3-6 | 2-4 | 7-8 | +13 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 15 | |
| S. Ibaka | 16:27 | 3-5 | 0-0 | 2-2 | +14 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | |
| E. Maynor | 18:49 | 3-5 | 1-3 | 6-7 | +4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | |
| E. Thomas | 05:27 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | -7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| K. Ollie | 05:27 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | -7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| B. Mullens | 04:14 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 1-2 | -4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Total | 240 | 31-76 | 6-18 | 42-48 | 13 | 37 | 50 | 15 | 23 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 110 | ||
| 40.8% | 33.3% | 87.5% | team rebs: 6 | total to: 10 | ||||||||||||
Photo by Kevin Pyle.