NBA schedule and results: Grizzlies, Bulls and Trail Blazers, Spurs highlight Friday’s slate

Kobe Bryant didn’t have his best game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. Bryant was hassled into a 3-for-15 shooting night by Oklahoma City’s team of long, athletic defenders, finishing the game with just nine points. Bryant had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but his pull-up jumper clanked off the rim. The Thunder won, 104-103, without Kevin Durant.

After the game, Lakers point guard Jeremy Lin — who scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting — offered some interesting comments on the night’s final possession:

It didn’t go in, but the play set the stage for a ridiculous triple overtime session where Lilliard was the star. When the damage finally cleared, Lillard had a new career high of 43 points and about five new ridiculous highlights to add to his personal reel.

Let’s go through them.

Let’s get one more look at that from another angle:

And that’s on Andre Drummond! Arguably the most imposing physical presence in the NBA! Never forget that James Johnson is a second degree black belt, and he knows how to use it.

Nothing great was ever accomplished easy. Just ask Damian Lillard.

Without Durant -- who had 30 in the first half before leaving, including a brief shooting gallery where he hit three-pointers in three straight possessions -- the Thunder couldn’t keep up with the Warriors and the raucous environment in Golden State. It was close and Oklahoma City briefly held a lead in the fourth quarter, but everyone could feel that it was no longer a fair fight.

The Warriors and Thunder play twice more next month on Jan. 5 and 16. Hopefully, optimistically, both teams can enter that game with their rosters intact and resume that first half struggle that made us wonder if we were watching a future seven-game playoff series act itself out in the guise of a casual regular season meet-up.