Behind the Box Score, where the Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the fourth quarter. Again (Ball Don't Lie) ...more ?
Oklahoma City Thunder 103, Los Angeles Lakers 100 (Thunder lead series, 3-1)
You get the feeling that every quarter the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder play is worth a column of its own. Our wrists can't handle such an exercise, though, and in a series like this, I'm not sure I can handle another exhausting three games. Though I'd like to see the Lakers and Thunder try.
Where to start? Well, it's almost as if Kobe Bryant realized his own line of [nonsense] emanating from his high free throw total in Game 3. Yes, he got to the line 18 times and secured the Lakers' win, but it wasn't as if he was driving and getting hit to get to the stripe. Most of his looks came on fouls on the perimeter, with Oklahoma City in the penalty, and not some head-down brand of dashing to the goal. Come on, Kobe.
So what did he do in Game 4? Come on, Kobe. Come on so damn good. He was brilliant, to start. Absolutely fantastic in dominating in the post against both Thabo Sefolosha and James Harden, and outpacing even his Game 3 rate (10 free throw attempts at the end of the third quarter in Game 3, 14 of those bad boys at the same time in Game 4) at the free throw line by, you guessed it, putting his head down and driving to the rim. Smart, tough, and cerebral play from a man playing nearly his 51,000 combined regular season and postseason minute, on the second night of a back to back.
Kevin Durant?s game-winner beats the Lakers in Game 4 (VIDEO) (Ball Don't Lie) ...more ?
The Okahoma City Thunder are a young team, and many fans and observers believe they still need to prove their mettle in close, tense playoff games. Saturday night's Game 4 against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center was one of those games, with the Lakers jumping out to a quick double-digit lead and holding a nine-point advantage heading into the final quarter. By all possible measures, OKC proved themselves, taking the game 103-100 and out-executing the home Lakers down the stretch.
The finishing blow was Kevin Durant's three-pointer over Metta World Peace with 13 seconds remaining. Durant's been no stranger to game-winners in these playoffs ? this was his third, including this memorable one against Dallas on the postseason's first night ? but this one felt a little more special. The context mattered: the Thunder were in danger of seeing the series tied at 2-2, and the shot was the perfect cap to their comeback. More than anything, though, it was impressive just how calm Durant looked throughout the possession. He knew what he wanted to do, got the chance, and executed perfectly. At no point did he seem to lose control of the moment.
It was the play of a veteran superstar, not a young kid still finding his way to the top of the league. The Thunder still have much to prove as they try to win a championship, but there's now no question that they're a mature bunch.
(Video via EOB )
Behind the Box Score, where the Los Angeles Lakers answered at home (Ball Don't Lie) ...more ?
Los Angeles Lakers 99, Oklahoma City Thunder 96 (Thunder lead series 2-1)
Game 1 was the blowout, the startling realization that the Oklahoma City Thunder remained a championship-level force to be reckoned with, even after a week-long layoff. Game 2 was the ugly nail-biter, the one that Los Angeles let get away. Game 3? It wasn't perfect. But it was fantastic, end-to-end playoff basketball.
There were quibbles, to be sure. Thunder coach Scott Brooks probably shouldn't have left Derek Fisher try to guard Kobe Bryant after Kobe's entrance in the fourth quarter; Kevin Durant will get criticism for the pass he made (to Serge Ibaka, in the game's third-to-last possession); Ibaka will get criticism for the pass he didn't make (to Durant or Russell Westbrook with the Thunder down three with three seconds left); and Kobe Bryant's ability to goad referee Marc Davis into putting him at the line on a phantom foul late in the fourth quarter. There were mistakes.
[Photos: Lakers get back in series with win over Thunder ]
Kobe, though, earned just about every other trip to the line. He hit double-figure free-throw attempts by the end of the third quarter, and did not fall victim to the low-percentage looks down the stretch like he did late in Game 2 (save for one instance, that led directly to OKC going up five in the middle of the fourth as Kobe admired his follow through). One drive and score over both Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka in the fourth probably saved Los Angeles' season. Whine all you want over the Lakers shooting 42 free throws and Kobe hitting 18 of 18, but by my count he earned all but four of those 18 (both on phantom fouls versus James Harden), and the Lakers earned this win.