2012 NBA Playoffs: Lakers Have No Chance Against Durant and Westbrook

If Monday night was any indication of what's to come, the Los Angeles Lakers better phone it in now and get started on vacation plans for the summer, because the Oklahoma City Thunder are on a mission and they are clicking on all cylinders.

After a nine-day layoff from their four-game sweep of the Dallas Mavericks, the young guns of OKC showed no signs of rust in their 29-point annihilation of the Lakers in Game 1 by a final count of 119-90, taking a 1-0 lead in their Western Conference semifinals series.

Before we get to the heart of the matter, it's understandable for anyone to think that after what the Lakers went through in their seven-game series against the Denver Nuggets, that Game 1 didn't mean much. After losing a 3-1 lead and having to play a Game 7—one where Ty Lawson and company almost defeated them—there had to be some fatigue settling in for the Lakers.

But the beast that is the Thunder is a completely different problem for the Lakers than the Nuggets were.

The dynamic superstar duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined for 52 points in Game 1, with Westbrook dominating the Lake Show with 27 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in only 30 minutes of play, on 10-for-15 shooting.

If they thought stopping Lawson was a problem, then no one wants to know what the Lakers are thinking right now. Other than hoping they got a good amount of naps today.

Due in large part to Metta World Peace having to decide whom he guards, it should be a given that one of the two superstars will have a field day to the dismay of Los Angeles. This isn't the same No. 8 seeded Thunder who gave the Lakers a run for their money a few years ago.

Durant's not the same kid who Ron Artest (for 2009 purposes, we'll use his actual name) made a fool of in OKC's first playoff appearance. The three-time scoring champion has proven that he can score from anywhere with anyone guarding him, hence his 25-point night on 50 percent shooting in Game 1.

But that kind of night is helped along when your sidekick is dominating the game the way Westbrook was. In these playoffs, the All-Star point guard has silenced his critics and has done so with his scoring ability. Last night, he proved to the masses once again that he's more of a scoring machine. When he plays like a complete point guard in big games, there are not many players who can keep up with Westbrook.

Kobe Bryant can put up Jordan-like numbers all he wants, and he has no problem doing it. But considering that he hasn't been getting the help he needs on a consistent basis, his play won't mean anything. And it doesn't help when the bench only combines for 27 points with the majority of them coming in garbage time.

Combine all of that with the amazing play of James Harden and his ability to get to the basket with ease, along with Serge Ibaka playing defense, and no one would be faulted by saying this series ends in four or five games. The Lakers will get one at home, but OKC is just too good, especially when Durant and Westbrook are on like they were last night.

It was bound to be sooner than later that the Thunder would take the reigns as the top team in the Western Conference.

And it appears that time is now.