Thunder batter Lakers yet again

“I think I’m showing it a lot more because I’m so damn happy about it”, Bryant said after scoring 19 points on 7-of-22 shooting in 28 minutes. It used to be the other way around before the Thunder drafted Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. They are trying to figure out the chemistry while having a farewell tour for Bryant at the same time.

The Lakers have little to play for this season besides a top draft pick.

Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant leads in early voting for the 2016 NBA All-Stars game.

Bryant led the Lakers with 27 points in a 92-83 win over Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo.

Bryant has no illusions about what he’s dealing with at this stage.

Playing up to the level of their competition is something the Clippers have yet to do this season. The Lakers had lost the previous year in the NBA Finals to the Celtics.

“I grew up overseas, I grew up in Italy (where his father played professionally), and to be able to see how basketball became such an worldwide sport first-hand…it would be a handsome thing for me personally to be able to finish my career on the global stage”.

As impressive as that may sound, it is incredibly sad.

The Thunder, whose string of six consecutive Northwest Division titles ended last season when they finished second behind Portland and missed the playoffs due to a rash of injuries, lead their division again with a 20-9 record under Donovan.

In the first half of the Thunder’s eventual 120-85 romp over the Lakers, both players bit on one of Bryant’s pump fakes. “It hurts.”… F Paul Pierce has played on Christmas Day for four different teams in the past four years, including Boston, Brooklyn and Washington. Lakers fans were no doubt more impressed by the performances of Durant (21 points, seven rebounds, five assists) and Westbrook (23, eight and eight) than any of their own team’s players. Bryant took on hot-shooting guard Will Barton and held him to two points in the second half to help the Lakers overcome a double-digit deficit.

Despite Bryant’s latest feat, the Lakers’ offense is still iffy. The Lakers have scored more than 100 points just once during the seven-game losing streak against the Clippers.2.

After missing a 35-point home loss to Oklahoma City on Wednesday because of a sore ankle, Randle started this one with 15 scoreless minutes off the bench.

The reality is that Bryant can not win 40 games by himself when he’s “almost 40”, as he referred to himself on Wednesday night.