OKC Thunder Move on, Travel to Face Lakers

It’s life in the NBA, and no one gets a free pass, not even the OKC Thunder.

A day after losing Kevin Durant to a “mild ankle sprain” and subsequently falling to the Golden State Warriors, the Thunder ends their current road trip against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers (8-17).

And not surprisingly, Durant wants to be on the floor with his teammates for Friday’s game at the Staples Center.

KD was playing at a historic level in the loss to the Warriors, becoming the fastest player to score 30 points in a game, having done it in just 18 minutes of first-half action. When he crumpled to the floor with only seconds left in the second quarter, many expected the worst. Durant rolled his right ankle (stepping on Golden State’s Marreese Speights‘ foot) but this is the same foot that was recently fractured and operated on; while Durant wanted to continue, the coaching staff wisely held him out for the rest of the game.

Afterwards, he told Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman, that he hopes to play after waking “up in the morning and see how I feel.” No additional updates have been provided at this time.

Durant may indeed be fine and ready to help the Thunder get back to their winning ways. But in the event that precaution is needed, the OKC training staff may elect to keep him out on Friday and bring him back for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

With or without KD, the Lakers represent the more immediate threat. L.A. has been ripped apart this season, with every facet of the organization being questioned by the media and public. The front office failed in its attempt to lure a big name free agent this summer, then hired a coach who was quoted as saying 3-pointers don’t win games. Their biggest roster moves was to bring aboard two players – Jeremy Lin and Carlos Boozer – with glaring holes in their games, particularly on the defensive end. And their aging superstar, Bryant, is a statistical nightmare of inefficiency.

And yet, it’s the Lakers and expectations are unrealistically high. Bryant has done what he can to carry the team (either because he wants to for the sake of ego or because he has to, due to underwhelming talent, is anyone’s guess) and is leading the team at 25.2 points per game, albeit at career-low shooting percentages. This team gets bogged down easily, as Bryant dominates the offense and his teammates are left to simply watch what happens. Occasionally, Boozer (13 PPG) and Lin (10.7 PPG) will look to score but they are complementary players.

However, Nick Young is a whole other matter. Young, or “Swaggy P” or “IDM” (which stands for “I Don’t Miss”) is a basketball force of nature, irrationally confident and oblivious to his faults, of which there are many. He’s developed a cult following, partly because of his play on the court (he does average 15.3 PPG and shoots 42.7 percent from 3-point range) but mostly due to his careless, jester-like approach. But don’t be fooled – he’s a talented scorer – and he could be a handful for Andre Roberson on the defensive end.

The matchup between Lin and Russell Westbrook (who scored 33 in Thursday’s loss) is almost criminally unfair. Lin can’t contain Westbrook, even if he weren’t playing at MVP-levels. Serge Ibaka and Steven Adams should all get their points easily but the question, once again, is about OKC’s bench. They struggled mightily against the Warriors, with Reggie Jackson, Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones III (who might start in Durant’s place) looking out of place and ineffective. They may bounce back against the Lakers’ reserves, a group of castoffs that can’t be counted on to produce.

The news of the day will all be about Durant but OKC has to keep their eye on what matters most; securing a victory.

Check back with Thunderous Intentions for more updates and news, as well as our recap, post-game grades and analysis.

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