Antawn Jamison contributed 19 points off the bench, but calling his defensive abilities "limited" would be an understatement. Metta World Peace was active as always, but perhaps to a fault as he shot 5-18 (1-9 from deep). Steve Nash played 29 minutes and put together 7 points (3-6 shooting) and 7 assists, a very modest line for the point guard. As he shot 8-23 on the night for his 28 points the Lakers fell further and further behind Oklahoma City. Kobe Bryant wasn't able to pull out a win on his own individual brilliance, which was more of an individual average-ness last night. Just a speck still floating in the depths of our soul like a dust particle after wiping off the kitchen table before sitting down for a cup of Folgers coffee.
There's no explanation as to why things have gone so dramatically wrong this season, but there's still that irrational hope.
They've imprinted memories into us that send shivers down our spines. These are the Lakers, one of the greatest sports franchises of all time. With each jubilant moment of ultimate success it has dug deeper into our core. With each title it has only grown stronger. Perhaps it was planted long ago and has lived on as residuary. It breathes as if it's a living organism. Antawn Jamison, Jodie Meeks, Metta World Peace (especially), and Kobe Bryant aren't getting the job done. After having a stretch of extremely hot shooting, the Lakers have now turned it around and are an embarrassment with each shot they let fly away from their hands from deep. Going 6-28 from beyond the arc isn't going to get the job done. And they didn't.Īs the three-point shots continued to mock the Lakers as they refused to go through the net, the Lakers offense quickly turned into Thunder offense. The depleted Lakers were never to have a chance. It didn't matter who the Lakers threw at him, Durant was there on a mission to lead his team in Los Angeles. Kevin Durant dominated the game as he scored 42 points on an absurd 16-25 shooting night. Should the Lakers have even been in the same realm of the Thunder Friday night? Sure, you have Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash, but what else? With their defense still being far from figured out, the Lakers had no way to build a safe haven as the storm of offense that is the Oklahoma City Thunder ravaged Staples Center. It's hooked on onto our brains, our hearts, and pulses with every idea and every word regarding this team There's no wind left to be knocked out at this point, only further to fall down this bottomless pit. Surely, Jordan Hill was never pegged out to undertake season ending surgery just as he was coming into his own off the bench. Surely, Robert Sacre was never supposed to play extended minutes at this point in the season, let alone starting during a Friday night prime time game on ESPN. Surely, even the most pessimistic of visions didn't involve the Lakers assigning Earl Clark to slow down Kevin Durant.
Yet that idea in our head certainly didn't look anything like the Lakers last night as they were pounded for 48 minutes by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Some were resistant to accepting this idea questioning their age, their personnel, and their ability to jell as a team.
This is a team that can deliver a parade down Figueroa. The Los Angeles Lakers planted an idea in our minds this summer. An idea that is fully formed - fully understood - that sticks right in there somewhere. Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it's almost impossible to eradicate. Cobb: What is the most resilient parasite? Bacteria? A virus? An intestinal worm? An idea.
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