Thunder vs. Lakers: Score, Highlights, Reaction from 2016 Regular Season
Christmas came early for NBA fans on Tuesday night.
As if a matchup featuring the up-and-coming Los Angeles Lakers (8-7) and Russell Westbrook's Oklahoma City Thunder (8-7) weren't tantalizing enough, Nick Young stole the show when he hit a game-winning three-pointer with five seconds remaining to hand the Purple and Gold a 111-109 win at Staples Center.
And in typical Swaggy P fashion, the heroics came in hysterical fashion.
With the Lakers trailing by one and in search of a go-ahead bucket, Brandon Ingram appeared to seek out Lou Williams at the top of the arc for a spot-up three. However, Young (17 points) looped in front of Williams, hawked the pass and drilled the triple to help the Lakers survive Westbrook's late-scoring onslaught:
The Thunder trailed by 13 points with six minutes remaining, but Westbrook went on a tear and scored 15 straight points to cut the Lakers' lead to three with 1:38 left in the fourth quarter.
And while the Thunder went up on a Steven Adams putback with 13 seconds on the clock, Westbrook's final three-point attempt clanged off iron and allowed the Lakers to snap a two-game losing skid.
Westbrook finished with 34 points and 13 assists, and he has now scored at least 30 points in six straight games. He's also tied with James Harden for the lead league with six games of at least 30 points and 10 assists.
Despite those impressive numbers, Westbrook wasn't able to prevent the Lakers from moving into uncharted territory based on their woes over the past few years, according to ESPN Stats & Info:
ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman took note of how the Lakers have evolved with head coach Luke Walton at the helm:
Filling in for the injured D'Angelo Russell (left knee soreness), Jose Calderon posted 12 points (4-of-5 shooting from three), six rebounds and four assists in a tone-setting performance, according to the Los Angeles Daily News' Mark Medina:
Speaking of impactful role players, Jordan Clarkson continued to anchor L.A.'s stellar second unit with a silky shooting stroke and some deft distribution.
The third-year guard finished with a team-high 18 points, four assists and four steals off the pine, and his composed play caught Goodman's attention:
So while Russell was forced to watch the game in street clothes and Julius Randle (hip pointer) was ineffective to the tune of three points and six turnovers, the Lakers bench remained a bright spot in the face of Westbrook's scoring rampage.
Clarkson spearheaded the attack, while Williams (13 points) and Ingram (11 points) got in on the action with meaningful contributions in a scoring display that showed how the true firepower of the league's top point-producing bench.
That kind of balanced formula should keep the Lakers competitive all season long, but they'll have a hard time outgunning the Golden State Warriors when the two sides meet on Wednesday evening.
Not only are the Warriors owners of the NBA's top offensive rating, but they will be seeking revenge at Oracle Arena after the Lakers handed them their only road loss of the season to date in a 117-97 romp on Nov. 4.
As for the Thunder, Westbrook will be in search of some extra help when his squad attempts to snap a two-game losing streak Wednesday night against the Sacramento Kings on the second night of a tough back-to-back.
Postgame Reaction
With the win in hand, Young paid homage to one of Russell's famous celebrations:
But according to the Norman Transcript's Fred Katz, Thunder head coach Billy Donovan questioned whether Young traveled before nailing the game-winner:
Elsewhere, Walton told reporters the final play was not designed for Young, according to the Los Angeles Times' Jesse Dougherty:
"Yeah, I think they should’ve given me a steal for that," Young added, according to ESPN.com's Baxter Holmes.
Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.
