Lakers vs. Thunder: Durant Steals Series and Kobe's Clutch Title as Well

There was one sequence of events late in the Los Angeles Lakers loss in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals to the Oklahoma City Thunder that likely sealed the Lakers postseason fate, and served as a passing of the torch moment as well.

Or maybe you could call it a stealing of the torch moment.

The contest was tied at 98 a piece with less than a minute left to play when Lakers guard Kobe Bryant received a pass on the perimeter. When double-teamed, Bryant passed the ball to a wide open Pau Gasol, who promptly turned the ball over to the Thunder.

On the Thunder's ensuing possession, forward Kevin Durant coolly stared Lakers forward Metta World Peace down, and then calmly delivered a three point dagger from the top of the key.

When the Lakers received the ball Bryant attempted to answer Durant's big shot but his own three point attempt clanged harmlessly off the rim into the arms of a Thunder defender. Ball game.

The respective looks on the faces of Durant and Bryant after their acts of heroism and failure told the story.

Durant appeared determined and confident as he strode to the Thunder bench after connecting on what may have been the biggest shot of his young postseason career. 

Bryant's face on the other hand was a mask of disappointment and uncertainty after another Lakers collapse where he was once again complicit.

Kobe has gained a reputation for excelling in these types of moments, but in this series he has been consumed by them.

And Durant seems to have no problem with shoving Bryant out of the spotlight he once enjoyed by himself.

Durant had a quiet 31 points compared to teammate Russell Westbrook's 37 point explosion and Bryant's own 38 point performance. But when both of those players faltered on crucial plays, it was Durant who stepped up to seal the game.

After Bryant hit two free throws to tie the game at 98 Westbrook slipped on the court, turning the ball over and setting up the final sequence of events.

Lakers fans will argue that Gasol should have looked for his shot since he was wide open and 10 feet from the basket instead of attempting an errant pass to World Peace, and they have a valid point. But maybe Kobe should have never passed the ball to Gasol at all.

Others will point to the Lakers maddening inability to hold onto 4th quarter leads, Mike Brown's failure to make adjustments or Andrew Bynum's disappearing act in the second half. All reasons contain truth.

Despite all those issues, the Lakers still had an opportunity to win the game and even the series. That responsibility was left in the hands of the player who has built his career on being clutch.

And this time, Bryant wasn't.

Bryant has often said he doesn't worry about what others think about his game, particularly his decision-making in end game situations, but you couldn't tell that by the look on Bryant's face after Game Four. 

Bryant rightly faced criticism for the Lakers two minute collapse in Game Two at Oklahoma City. While his mis-steps were not as egregious in Game Four, it's hard to swallow the thought that the Lakers are less than three minutes from being up 3-1 themselves.

Technically the series is not over since the Thunder still have to put the Lakers away in Game Five in order to move on to their second consecutive Western Conference Finals' series, but right now that seems like a formality.

Bryant may still have enough motivation and desire to make Monday's game at least interesting for depressed Lakers fans, but would you bet against Durant at home in the game's waning moments?

It's ironic since that type of reasoning has been used to describe Bryant throughout his career, but Durant is proving there may be a new clutch king in town.