Thunder Mount Late Comeback, Down Lakers To Take 2-0 Lead

For the Lakers, you gotta think Game 2 was even more of a backbreaker than the 29-point Game 1 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night. They were up seven points with two minutes left, sure, but more importantly, that’s as bad as the Thunder will ever look in this series. And the Lakers still couldn’t get the win.

Kevin Durant delivered, Kobe Bryant didn’t, and now the Thunder are headed to L.A. up 2-0. Or technically speaking, Kobe didn’t deliver, leaving the door open for Durant, and ... well, you know.

The Thunder on the other hand showed some fight and were able to battle back despite their failures. J.A. Sherman of SB Nation’s Thunder blog Welcome To Loud City credits the great defensive play all game by the Thunder.

For more on the Lakers, head over to Silver Screen And Roll and SB Nation Los Angeles. For more on the Thunder, head over to Welcome To Loud City.

Really, it’s about the way the myth catches hold with the men who draw up the plays.

Blaming World Peace for this decision would have been crazy. Basketball is a game of improvisation and quick decision-making, and in seeing Westbrook turn his head, World Peace improvised brilliantly. Most coaches everywhere hope that they work with players enough that they possess the on-court aptitude to read the situation.

So, this apparently happened after a wild game in Oklahoma City. Press conferences can be fun!

You’re probably wondering what in the world he’s talking about. The photo after the jump should explain.

Pretty obvious he’s trying to miss on purpose. But ... woopsiedoodle. Gotta hit rim. I guess it was a swish, at least!

Bryant’s stats illustrate the infamous Kobe System at its best. He finished the night 9-25 shooting with 20 points. He did not score in the final six minutes of the game. Durant led all scorers with 22 points, and he shot the ball only 15 times. It was a poor all-around offensive game for both teams but, in the final two minutes, the Thunder found a way to create inside looks without a point guard or a dominant offensive big man, and that was ultimately the difference.

For more on the Lakers, head over to Silver Screen And Roll and SB Nation Los Angeles. For more on the Thunder, head over to Welcome To Loud City.

Here’s the play in real time.

But what exactly happened on that last play? Was Blake really supposed to get the ball over Bryant? Does Bryant have any right to be upset?

But it gets better. A.C. Green appears to be watching the game at ESPN Zone while rocking his own Lakers jersey. We’re 99.9 percent sure it’s him.

via Instagram

It would have been his third charge in the last two years. Unfortunately for him, the referee didn’t cooperate.

Remember: this is the playoffs. Every play matters. Frustration will happen given those circumstances.

In Game 1? They took 11 shots.

In Game 2 so far? They have 16, and we’re early in the third quarter.

First, there was this.

Then, there was this.

For more on the Lakers, head over to Silver Screen And Roll and SB Nation Los Angeles. For more on the Thunder, head over to Welcome To Loud City.

Here’s Reggie Miller trying to make a point about pace.

… and the two teams have already been called for 11 combined fouls. As the old saying goes, nobody’s here to watch the officials.

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Bynum catches lots of flak, but it’s the guards who have to keep overplaying their man to allow Bynum to help easier.

(OK, no he hasn’t, but imagine if he was).