LA Lakers @ OKC Thunder

[Kill2bme]

To alot of you, this isn't much, let me break down to all of you how HUGE this day was for Oklahoma.

 

NFL Draft

1. St. Louis Rams Sam Bradford Quarterback Oklahoma

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Gerald McCoy Defensive tackle Oklahoma

3.Washington Redskins Trent Williams Offensive tackle Oklahoma

4.Seattle Seahawks Russell Okung Offensive tackle Oklahoma State

5.Cincinnati Bengals Jermaine Gresham Tight end Oklahoma

6.Dallas Cowboys (from Philadelphia via Denver and New England) [R1 trade 8] Dez Bryant Wide receiver Oklahoma State

 

All within the FIRST round of the NFL draft.

 

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But to add to all things, this was Earth Day, as well as Oklahoma's birthday.

 

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http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2010-04-23-3623657050_x.htm

 

OKLAHOMA CITY — Kevin Durant didn't think much about being assigned to guard Kobe Bryant. His teammates had each taken a crack at it, and it was simply his turn to give it a try.

 

Right in the middle of crunch time.

 

By preventing Bryant from taking over a second straight game in the fourth quarter, Durant gave the Oklahoma City Thunder a fighting chance in their first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers.

 

Durant finished with 29 points and 19 rebounds, and Russell Westbrook scored 27 points as the Thunder beat Los Angeles 101-96 in Game 3 on Thursday night to pull to 2-1 in the series.

 

"It was very impressive. He had an impressive game. When you don't have a good shooting night going -- and he's the league's leading scorer -- but he took it upon himself to make plays for his team," Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said.

 

"He wanted to guard Kobe. I wanted him to guard Kobe also. It was a group effort on that decision."

 

Durant scored six points and blocked one of Bryant's shots during a 10-2 surge that put the Thunder ahead to stay in the fourth quarter after trailing the defending NBA champions by as many as 11 in the second half.

 

"He's just continuing to learn. He continues to get better and better," said Bryant, who led Los Angeles with 24 points. "I think playoff experience, it's a whole 'nother animal. You kind of see him starting to figure things out even more so in this type of environment. But he's a fantastic player already."

 

Durant and Westbrook scored 22 of the final 23 for the Thunder, including every point during the decisive run.

 

The victory kept the Thunder from falling into an 0-3 hole against the Lakers, who are 20-0 when holding such an edge in a series.

 

Game 4 is Saturday night in Oklahoma City.

 

"It's the Lakers and to be down 0-3, that's tough. That kind of deflates you a little bit," said Durant, who missed his first seven shots and 15 of his first 19. "It feels good to get a win and have another game at home to try to get another one to even it up.

 

"It's all about getting better each day and knowing what's at stake, I think. It's not pressure for us but we still know at end of day that we've got to come out and try to get a win."

 

The top-seeded Lakers got pulled to 98-96 on Bryant's driving layup with 13.5 seconds left, but the Thunder closed it out from the foul line.

 

Bryant, who surpassed Jerry West's franchise record for playoff scoring in the third quarter, couldn't deliver as he did in scoring 15 fourth-quarter points to seal the Lakers' 95-92 victory in Game 2. He went 2 for 10 in the final 12 minutes, with Durant stopping between free throws at one point to motion to the bench that he wanted to guard the former MVP.

 

Durant said he thought he had only guarded Bryant for a total of 10 possessions during the teams' four regular-season meetings and the first two playoff games.

 

"It was a matchup that caught me by surprise," said Bryant, who's nearly half a foot shorter than Durant. "I think he did a great job."

 

Pau Gasol had 17 points and 15 rebounds and Derek Fisher also scored 17 for Los Angeles.

 

Rookie reserve James Harden added 18 points for Oklahoma City after going scoreless in Games 1 and 2.

 

Fans wearing free "Rise Together" blue T-shirts were standing even 15 minutes before the game to chant "Beat L.A.!" and rose to their feet again when the Thunder brought out a new pregame video that showed key moments from Oklahoma City's time in the NBA.

 

It was billed as the biggest sports day in the city's history, with three Oklahoma players taken among the top four picks in the NFL draft on the same night as the first home playoff game for the Thunder or the New Orleans Hornets -- who were displaced to the Ford Center for two seasons following Hurricane Katrina.

 

And it came on the 121st anniversary of the date the state, which was formerly American Indian territory, was first settled in a land run.

 

All that didn't seem to bother the defending NBA champions.

 

They kept the fans standing -- and waiting for the Thunder's first basket -- until Brooks burned a timeout 2:34 into the game with his team already down 10-0. Los Angeles made its first seven shots, taking advantage of three early Thunder turnovers and the 7-foot Bynum's size advantage inside with a series of lobs.

 

The fans reached a deafening pitch as the Thunder completed their charge back with an 8-0 run set off by Westbrook's right-handed tomahawk dunk. Harden and Durant followed with back-to-back 3-pointers to tie it at 74, and Oklahoma City finally took its first lead of the game on its opening possession of the fourth quarter.

 

Durant's jumper from the right side with 8:41 left gave Oklahoma City the lead for good and sparked the decisive 10-2 run.

 

 

 

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Oklahoma NOT slumping?

Edited April 23, 2010 by Kill2bme666

[Bill Belichick]

just gonna lose in 5

[Addy-Zach]

surprised the thunder won tbh, they wont win another game though lol.

 

the bulls on the other hand, are gunna win in 7

[Jonno]

fuck nba

[chris]

I like the Thunder there a new team and already beat the lakers I think there gonna go to the championships

[Parumpapapums]

Couple years to early still for Okc Thunders to be fully contenders.

[Harry]

WUT

[Baller]

im guessing ur from oklahomo

[MEDUSA]

cool

[Corey]

Just here for my +1

[Kill2bme]

just gonna lose in 5

 

 

*cough*

 

 

Lakers 89 : Thunder 110

[Wayne]

I have faith in OKC!

[Ludadogg0]

I bet that the Thunder will beat the Lakers.