LA Lakers: Kobe's Implosion in Game 2 Is Only One of the Lakers' Issues

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is not known for conceding anything to opponents, so it was strange to hear his response when asked by a reporter on ESPN's SportsCenter how his Lakers could match the Oklahoma City Thunder's energy after getting blown off the court in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

Bryant said there was no way the Lakers could match the youthful exuberance of the Thunder, and if his team hoped to compete they would have to find other ways to win.

During most of Game 2 the Lakers appeared to have found such a strategy as strong defense and disciplined play led the team to a 75-68 lead with 2:09 left in the fourth quarter.

And then everything collapsed right along with Kobe.

The Thunder missed 20 of their first 27 shots in the second half, but in the last two minutes they completely seized control of the game, and to the chagrin of his legions of followers Kobe was at the center of the Lakers' collapse.

People are talking a lot about Steve Blake's wide-open miss with five seconds left on the clock, but I haven't heard as much about Kobe's two missed shots and two turnovers in the game's deciding final two minutes.

That's part of Kobe's dark side that is rarely mentioned while extolling his past late-game heroics.

And while Bryant's miscues at the end of Game 2 certainly contributed to the Lakers' loss, the blame cannot be squarely placed on Bryant alone.

In fact, it would be hard to blame any of the Lakers since the team suffers from a fundamental flaw against the Thunder.

One part of it is the Lakers' age when compared to the youthful Thunder, and the other part is the Lakers' simply do not have a player who can consistently stay in front of Oklahoma's star players off the dribble.

The Lakers can compete if they can force the Thunder to shoot jump shots, but when Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant or James Harden decide to go to the rim the Lakers don't stand a chance.

This truth was exposed in Game 1 when Ramon Sessions and Steve Blake took turns getting burned by Westbrook, and it prevailed again late in Game 2 with Durant's athletic steal and score off Bryant's turnover, and Harden's transition score after a blocked shot against No. 24. 

The Lakers' 77-75 loss in Game 2 suggests the Lakers may have found a formula to possibly beat the Thunder, but history and circumstance might suggest otherwise. 

The Lakers have lost 17 out of 19 playoff series when trailing 2-0, but what may be worse is the Lakers will be forced to play Game 3 and Game 4 on back-to-back nights.

That doesn't bode well for a veteran team trying to catch their breath, and one more mistake could be fatal.

I have heard numerous people say that Kobe will rise to the occasion and save the Lakers' season, and while I'm confident that Kobe has the skill and fortitude to correct his own mistakes, I'm not so sure about the Lakers when it comes to stopping Harden and Westbrook off the dribble.

Kobe has certainly proved me wrong before, but is this Lakers team better than the one that got swept out of the postseason by the Dallas Mavericks last season? Probably not. But the Thunder may be better than those Mavericks.