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Starring: Russell Westbrook putting the Thunder on his back. Russell Westbrook is a bad, bad man. With his team struggling to score in the first half, shooting 35% from the field, the volatile point guard poured in 17 points in the third. That was enough to hold off the Lakers, who despite putting up a great effort in the first half, fell apart in the third:
Offensively, they had a miserable time generating good looks, lacking both Gasol's scoring ability and also his skill as a high-post passer, someone able to move the defense, create space for cutters and actually deliver the ball. Without him, OKC aggressively attacked the perimeter and made it tough for the Lakers to get entry passes or run the pick and roll (another place losing Gasol hurt). On the other end, losing Pau's mobility against the high screen and as an interior defender was a major problem, particularly as Westbrook gained momentum. The Lakers are a far different team defensively with only one high-end 7-footer available.
Still, all was not lost. The Lakers put together a decent fourth quarter, with Metta World Peace getting hot behind the arc, and Gasol back in the game. The lead was cut down to 7 at one point, but the Lakers ran out of time to mount a comeback. This game showed the Lakers how much work they need to do if they want to advance deep in the playoffs. Mike Brown has a lot of decisions to make in terms of his rotations. How is he going to get any meaningful production without the big three in at the same time? Right now, the Thunder are acting like the big dogs in the West, they talk trash, they scowl, and they pound their chests. What, if anything, can the Lakers do about it?
Much more after the jump...
Lakers News:
- Rapid Reaction: Thunder 102, Lakers 93 - Lakers Blog - ESPN Los Angeles
- Thunder 102, Lakers 93 - Lakers blog : The Orange County Register
- Derek Fisher pregame Q and A - Los Angeles Lakers Blog - ESPN Los Angeles
- Derek Fisher: ‘There are 37 reasons why I can help a team’ - Lakers blog : The Orange County Register
- Video of Andrew Bynum’s 2007 3-point miss - Lakers blog : The Orange County Register
- The Forum: What's going on between Mike Brown and the team? - Lakers Blog - ESPN Los Angeles
- Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike Brown says he has no issue with Andrew Bynum - ESPN Los Angeles
NBA.com:
- LAL 93, OKC 102: March 29 Running Diary " Lakers Blog
- Derek Fisher Returns to Staples " Lakers Blog
- NUGGETS: Nuggets coach George Karl enjoys a good pregame scream
ESPN:
- Paul Allen denies report Portland Trail Blazers are up for sale - ESPN
- Steve Nash would listen to Miami Heat as free agent - ESPN
- North Carolina Tar Heels' John Henson, Harrison Barnes, Kendall Marshall to enter draft - ESPN
- Derek Fisher returns to LA as member of Oklahoma City Thunder - ESPNLA
Probasketball Talk:
- Heat, Mavs remind us they are not the same Heat, Mavs teams
- Video: Steve Nash says "anything is possible" with free agency
- Jeremy Lin to be on minute watch when he returns
- Report: Amare Stoudemire may need offseason back surgery
- Quote of the Day: Cousins learns from Jedi master Duncan
Slam Online:
- Video: Kevin Durant Dunks Over Pau Gasol
- Pau Gasol Records Interactive Storybook for UNICEF
- Coming Up Big
- Steve Nash ‘Would Definitely Listen’ to a Miami Heat Offer
Yahoo Sports:
- Boris Diaw speaks about his love of photography | Ball Don't Lie
- Kevin Garnett motivated by ‘old’ talk | Ball Don't Lie
- Report suggests Paul Allen could sell the Trail Blazers. That’s … good? | Ball Don't Lie
- Liking Carmelo Anthony more because he’s ‘tough’ would be dumb | Ball Don't Lie
CBS Sports:
- Quarterly Report: Could lockout-shortened season lead to upsets?
- Thunder prove a point in Los Angeles against the Lakers
- The deal to keep the Kings in Sacramento might be falling apart
- Steve Nash says he won't come back to the Suns if there isn't improvement
- Quarterly Report Roundtable: Buy or sell?
Other Blogs and Links:
- Lakers Unable to Impress, Fall to Derek Fisher and Thunder | Lakers Nation
- Mike Brown Stands By Decision to Bench Andrew Bynum | Lakers Nation
- Top 5 Derek Fisher Plays With the Lakers | Lakers Nation
- Derek Fisher Politely Refuses to Comment on Lakers Trade | Lakers Nation
- Derek Fisher's Top 5 Big Shots as a Laker | March
- Behind The Scenes With The 'Mini-Mamba' Andrew Goudelock | Lakers Nation
- Thunder wins again, beat Lakers 102-93 | NewsOK.com
- Westbrook Scores 36 as Oklahoma City Thunder Beat Lakers 102-93 - Bloomberg
- Thunder Remind Lakers Who Is Best In West - Lake Show Life
- Thunder notebook: Derek Fisher faces the media about trade | NewsOK.com
- Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak downplays team's drama amid Derek Fisher's return - Sam Amick - SI.com
- Bad Shooting | Hoops Analyst
- Kevin Love Can Save The World - SBNation.com
- Brandan Wright's Unexpected Emergence - RealGM Basketball Blog
- Tyrone Corbin turning young Jazz team into threatening force down low - Ian Thomsen - SI.com
- Andray Blatche’s mom knows why he gets booed | The Basketball Jones
- Here’s Chris Bosh with his matching jacket and birthday cake | The Basketball Jones
Multimedia: