Not enough firepower tonight as the Lakers fall to the OKC Thunder on the road 108-114. The Lakers came out with focus and energy. They played the Thunder pretty much even in the 1st quarter. At the start of the second they were up 27-26, but halfway through Westbrook went on a scoring tear that was almost unstoppable. He had 27 points at the half. They played even in the third, and made it interesting late in the fourth by cutting the deficit to single digits with about a minute to play. But it was too little too late.
This the Lakers. There are no moral victories here. Nor are there any excuses. But you have to be happy with the effort the team put forward tonight. They made their fair share of mistakes, but they played hard. That will pay dividends when/if the team gets healthy.
Notables:
The Good:
-Jodie Meeks w/ 17 points off the bench
-Good overall effort by the team
-Kobe (35/7) and Dwight (23/18) were solid
The Bad:
-Too many turnovers. A lot were offensive fouls that need to be cleaned up
-Could not slow down Westbrook in the first half. It wasn't really poor defense, he was just on tonight. But the Lakers can do a better job getting the ball out of his hands
-Quiet night from MWP
-Too much complaining to the refs. The Lakers (especially Kobe) were getting knocked to the floor, fighting through illegal screens, and hacked all night. It seemed like the KD went to the line if he was even breathed on. However, they cannot keep complaining on calls when the ball is going the other way. It only makes the refs let more calls go as they try to prove they can't be bullied.
It was going to be an uphill battle facing an OKC team on the road while being shorthanded. They battled all night, but they just couldn't create enough easy buckets. They are running a pick n' roll/uptempo offense without a true PG at the moment. Difficult to do.
Overall it was a good game but ur right, at the end it was too little too late. Does it bother u that MWP is still getting wrapped up here and there? Especially against the thunder, he has to keep his nose clean. The media rapes him everytime and its the kinda thing thatll lead to suspensions when we really need him u know? (Not saying he was by any means in the wrong, emotions run high on the court and some times the game gets rough but still we gotta think big picture even if we takin it one game at a time)
ReplyDeleteHe definitely can't afford to get into any scuffles. Nor can the Lakers. Even if he is in the right the league will come down on him like a ton of bricks.
ReplyDeleteBut he's a physical player so the altercations will occur. He's just got to keep a level head.