Oklahoma City Thunder hold the edge over the Los Angeles Lakers for now – NBA Feature
After watching the Lakers loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in game 2 of their Western Conference Semi Final series, one can only wonder what happened and how it happened. The Thunder were down by 7 points with
just over 2 minutes remaining and went on to win the game to take a 2-0 lead in the series.
If the Thunder had pulled off this turnaround against any other team, it wouldn’t be surprising. But they did it against one of the most experienced with a depth of playoff experience. They did it with a team
known for closing games. And they did it against a team which has the best finisher in the game.
Kobe Bryant committed a turnover in the final 23 seconds of the game. He missed a couple of shots as well. The Lakers defense broke down as they seemed nervous in the noisy Chesapeake Energy Arena. But instead
of wondering what the Lakers did wrong, one can also look and admire this young Oklahoma team.
This Thunder team is young and inexperienced when it comes to playoffs, but looks like a solid and veteran team when it steps on the court. In their first round series, the Thunder swept the defending Champions
Dallas Mavericks. They had a few close games, including game 1 of the series, but were able to close all their games well. Kevin Durant was the hero with a game winning shot in game 1 against the Mavericks. He repeated his performance on Wednesday night with
a game winning shot against the Lakers. The three time scoring champ of the league has the poise and calmness that players take years to achieve.
And besides Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden have been exceptional in their roles as well. Not to forget Serge Ibaka, who had 7 blocked shots in the game. The Thunder have won the first two games of
the series in completely opposite fashion. They had a blowout win in game 1 with their scorers having a great outing. They won game 2 down by 7 win 2 minutes left in the game.
The Thunder have now proven that it does not matter what the situation is, they know how to close games and know how to win. They do not need to follow a particular game plan and will be caught off guard if the
plan deviates. They are only concerned with winning and that is what they are doing until now, going 6-0 in the playoffs so far.
"In this league, it's all about fighting to the end, both teams grinding it out. This team is tough, on defense and offense. Our DNA is always keep pressing, keeping our composure” said Durant after the game
2 victory over the Lakers.
The Lakers on the other hand, did everything right until the final two minutes of the game. They had contained an offensive force like the OKC to below 80 points and Russell Westbrook was having a bad night.
Durant looked good but he was also not at his best. They had a 7 point lead and could have easily won from there, with only 2 minutes left to play. Instead, they panicked and made turnovers. On the offensive end, they did not make adjustments on plays and
failed to score.
“We're better than Santa Claus giving out gifts. We like giving out gifts. We give out games, contracts and rings” said Lakers centre Andrew Bynum after the loss to OKC.
The Lakers are a strong team that has been in situations like these before. Just in their last series against the Nuggets, Denver took them to a full 7 games. But in game 7, the Lakers came out and played their
game with composure and secured the victory.
Now the series shifts back to LA and at home, the Lakers are tough in playoffs. However, they need to come out focused and keep their focus for all 48 minutes of the game. They have the game plan, the blueprint
to defeat OKC. They just need to execute it well.
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