LA Lakers @ OKC Thunder (LAL 2-1) 9:30pm ESPN

• Trueblue23

  

  Big game tonight!
• SQ_Crazies

  

  Well I'm interested but CollegeFest is underway, which means I'm likely going to be far too intoxicated to watch this game.
• Trueblue23

  

  Lakers getting waxed, looks like they're ready to call it a night and head home to STAPLES
• Trueblue23

  

  Lakers missing a lot of easy shots
• 3reppom

  

  the Lakers look disinterested at best in this game. They came out with the intention to keep the crowd out of it but Durant had those two early flushes and LA went to sleep after that.
• Trueblue23

  

  Big 30 seconds here before the half
• ZombieKiller

  wow..the lakers are playing like they don't give a shit anymore
• Footwedge

  The Lakers have an old, tired Kobe and a crappy bench this year. Sorry Lake fans, but this is not surprising at all.
• mallymal614

  The woman doing this game making it difficult for me to enjoy it. Am I sexist for saying that?
• devil1197

  OKC just looks fresher.
  
  LAL had two tough wins in LAL, OKC with a tight win in game 3 but simply owning game 4.
• 3reppom

  

  The Lakers are just waiting to get back to LA for game 5. There is just no effort at all from that squad
• paul_banks

  Lakers are old and tired. OKC is not. This goes seven games.
• devil1197

  3reppom wrote: The Lakers are just waiting to get back to LA for game 5. There is just no effort at all from that squad

  I don't buy that.
  
  I can understand Game 3 or even Game 4 if they won Game 3. But OKC has the potential to tie the series and they have proven to play tight games in LAL. You can make the argument that OKC wins a game in LAL if Westbrook doesn't have to sit for an extended period of time with foul trouble.
  
  Now, I still have LAL winning the series. But no team doesn't care about a game when the series will be 2-2.
• Heretic

  

  Oklahoma City is looking very dangerous with the way they're playing tonight. I don't know if "waiting to get back to LA" is a good strategy, as OC played them tough there and now is playing like they're the better team. They're a young, athletic team. If they come out pumped up like crazy AND can execute remotely like they are tonight, Lakers could easily be down 3-2.
• 3reppom

  

  devil1197 wrote:

  3reppom wrote: The Lakers are just waiting to get back to LA for game 5. There is just no effort at all from that squad

  I don't buy that.
  
  I can understand Game 3 or even Game 4 if they won Game 3. But OKC has the potential to tie the series and they have proven to play tight games in LAL. You can make the argument that OKC wins a game in LAL if Westbrook doesn't have to sit for an extended period of time with foul trouble.
  
  Now, I still have LAL winning the series. But no team doesn't care about a game when the series will be 2-2.

  But the lakers are more talented, and more importantly they know that they are more talented than the Thunder. Because they know it, they have no problem at all writing a game off while it is in progress. They say tonight was not our night and then they wash their hands of it. and they half ass the rest of the game. The Lakers have done that several times this year and they did it about mid 2nd quarter tonight.
• Mooney44Cards

  

  Well, the debate was whether or not LA could "turn it on" once the playoffs started, as this is how they looked at the end of the regular season. Looks like the answer is no.
• devil1197

  I wouldn't even say their more talented than OKC right now. Their a better team but OKC has some serious young talent that, when playing well together, can be very dangerous.
  
  OKC has two major mis matches that aren't even close right now with Durant and Westbrook. Those two guys have the ability to create a big point differential at their respective positions just as Durant is doing tonight against Artest who continues to shoot like shit.
  
  LAL's bigs are better, much more talented but they cannot control the games like guards can. Those two guys need their teammates to give them the ball and to set them up. Sure they can take games over, but sometimes the LAL guard forget that they are on the court.
  
  Kobe hasn't been Kobe lately. I figure he'll turn it around sooner or later, but right now he doesn't have the Black Mamba in him.
  
  Then you look at the bench production. Tonight 29-18 in favor of OKC and Game 3 26-14 in favor of OKC. The Thunder have been getting better bench production lately.
• ZombieKiller

  and the Fakers are out in full force tonight
• devil1197

  LAL will be fine as long as Kobe can become semi efficient at home along with getting more help from Artest and the bench.
  
  Kobe is already getting worked on in the locker room. He is just too banged up right now.
• 3reppom

  

  devil1197 wrote: I wouldn't even say their more talented than OKC right now. Their a better team but OKC has some serious young talent that, when playing well together, can be very dangerous.
  
  OKC has two major mis matches that aren't even close right now with Durant and Westbrook. Those two guys have the ability to create a big point differential at their respective positions just as Durant is doing tonight against Artest who continues to shoot like shit.
  
  LAL's bigs are better, much more talented but they cannot control the games like guards can. Those two guys need their teammates to give them the ball and to set them up. Sure they can take games over, but sometimes the LAL guard forget that they are on the court.
  
  Kobe hasn't been Kobe lately. I figure he'll turn it around sooner or later, but right now he doesn't have the Black Mamba in him.
  
  Then you look at the bench production. Tonight 29-18 in favor of OKC and Game 3 26-14 in favor of OKC. The Thunder have been getting better bench production lately.

  Its not even about Kobe right now, well its not all about Kobe. The Lakers are just flat out not playing smart basketball. They have an overwhelming advantage inside with Bynum and Gasol but they refuse to use it. As a collective they have taken on the personality of Lamar Odom. Like Odom they have reached 85% of their potential, and that is good enough to win, a lot. But like Odom they can't be bothered to work hard to achieve their full potential. last year they took on Kobe's personality and received a championship in the bargain. They need to follow Kobe again but he doesn't seem able to impose his will on a team full of content stars who need their ego's massaged to try hard.
• sleeper

  

  Kobe only with 10 shots, when's the last time that happened? He didn't even try to chuck his team out of this one.
• Midstate01

  

  It was so bad for the lakers tonight that BJ Mullens scored a point!!
• Midstate01

  

  I'm a diehard cavs fan and laker hater... But I have no idea what LA's gameplan was tonight. Or maybe they just didn't care.
  
  Cavs series will be tied up too if they don't play with a better sense of urgency tomorrow.
• Sage

  

  Ill see how I feel q4 of the next game.
• hoops23

  

  So where are the people who said OKC wouldn't win 2, let alone 1 game in this series?
  
  I told a few people on here that they were vastly underrating OKC...
  
  IF OKC can continue to play like this, LA will have a short stint in trying to defend their crown, because they'll be fishing in May. (Or hitting the Spa I guess, since it is LA)....
  
  Russell Westbrook is simply dominating the Lakers and Kevin Durant came alive Game 3 and continued into Game 4.. James Harden won't play this good in Game 5, but I expect Ibaka to continue to own Bynum and Vagasol down low defensively and somewhat offensively.
  
  James Harden is going to be a very good player in this league, so when I say he won;t play that well in Game 4, I mean no disrespect to him.. I just know how it is for rookies on the road in big playoff games.
  
  With that said, Kobe looks terrible, Lamar Odom is where? Gasol and Fisher are the only Lakers showing up consistently.. Didn't the Lakers sign Artest? Because I haven't seen him yet either.