GAMEDAY PREVIEW: Thunder Host Lakers Without Kobe

“We came in at halftime and coach (Billy Donovan) said we’ve got to still stick with our principles and still play the game the right way and I think we did a good job”.

Durant finished with 22 points and eight rebounds in 30 minutes, and Westbrook added 13 points and 11 assists in 28 minutes. The Thunder’s offense was clicking all game long, as they shot an opponent season-high 54.8 percent from the field, while doubling L.A.’s 14 assists. The Clippers will try to avoid a third straight loss when they host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.

“People say that Kobe Bryant needs to take a step back, that he’s stunting the growth of these young players … absolutely not!”

Wall scored 20 points in the first half and then drilled a key jumper with just over 2 minutes left in the game after the Hornets almost erased a 15-point deficit.

Lakers coach Byron Scott chuckled at questions about free agency, arguing that “we’re not anxious about the summer right now or who we’re trying to sell”. They are 4-22, which is the worst record in the NBA’s Western Conference.

Despite the team’s continued losing, the trio is making the Lakers more troublesome for opponents than they were at the season’s start and, if they continue to thrive in their respective roles, the team could start putting more wins together sooner rather than later.

“It’s been sore for the last couple games”, Bryant said after the game. In just one quarter, the Panthers put up 21 points with touchdowns from Jonathon Stewart and two from Ted Ginn Jr.

His third quarter jam over Houston’s Clint Capela two nights earlier, his first of the season, drew rave reviews, and led Bryant to gush about how strong he felt in his legs. “I think everyone can see that”. The Lakers’ next game is not until Tuesday at Denver.

It only got worse from there for Los Angeles. OKC came out of the gates on a mission, and tore through the Lakers’ defense with reckless abandon-building up a 35-15 lead after just one quarter. He said he thought the injury happened before that but added “I’m sure that didn’t help”. But hey, Kobe Bryant did something!

Bryant and the semi-retired Ray Allen are the only two cagers left from the very talented 1996 batch. I haven’t even talked to him about it, so I don’t even know when it occurred.

Notes Anthony Brown took Bryant’s place in the opening lineup, finishing with four points in his starting debut. Rockets forward Trevor Ariza has attempted more corner 3-pointers – the efficient shot that has overtaken the game in the modern era – than the entire Wolves roster.

Even on the bench, Bryant remained the focus of conversation.