Yet it was two near misses away from sending this one into overtime, as the Lakers escaped Oklahoma with a 90-87 come from behind win on the road.
Two key players who were involved in the same blockbuster trade a week earlier—Oklahoma’s reliable scoring forward Jeff Green (15.2 points per game with the Thunder) and one of the league’s better immovable objects in the paint, 6’10”, 280-pound Kendrick Perkins of the Celtics—switched teams, with the latter sitting out the Lakers game due to a knee injury that hasn’t healed yet.
So the new-look Thunder played the Lakers to a virtual standstill Sunday and did so without all guns loaded.
Los Angeles has come out of the All-Star break looking refreshed and playing much better than the impostors who went into Cleveland and proceeded to play like your local YMCA pickup squad. With their sloppy 90-79 win at Minnesota on Tuesday, the Lakers' latest winning streak reached five games.
But the fact remains that Oklahoma is a rising power in the NBA, and the acquisition of Perkins means they’re serious about trying to take those next steps towards a championship now and for the next few seasons. The Lakers may indeed face the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.
The question which begs to be answered: Does Oklahoma City have enough thunder to finally rain down on the Lakers' parade and send them running for cover in 2011?
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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
