Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 12/7/12: Video Highlights and Recap

The Los Angeles Lakers' struggles continued Friday night as they lost another game, this time to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 114-108.

Los Angeles came out of the gate looking strong in Oklahoma City and left the first quarter with a one-point lead. However, that would all change in the second quarter as the Thunder dropped 41 on the Lakers in that frame, staking themselves to a 14-point lead they never relinquished.

Westbrook was the biggest catalyst in the Thunder's first-half success after scoring 27 points during the first two quarters.

The Lakers did play much better in the second half, but it was too little too late for Mike D'Antoni's squad. Los Angeles did make a valiant effort down the stretch of the fourth quarter, but the hole was already too deep to get out of.

Kevin Durant led all scorers with 36 points and added nine boards. Westbrook was right there with his teammate, scoring 33 points to go along with eight assists. Off the bench, the Thunder got a nice spark from Nick Collison and Kevin Martin, as the two combined for 24 points.

Kobe Bryant did his best to carry his team to victory in this one. Bryant had 35 points, but he needed 24 shots to get there. Dwight Howard came through with 23 points and 18 rebounds, with Jodie Meeks being the high scorer off the bench with 17.

The most notable stat to mention was the lack of fast-break points the Lakers had. Normally D'Antoni's offense flourishes in transition, and that is a major aspect of the offense. But the Lakers only scored eight fast-break points in this game.

Player of the Game: Kevin Durant

Durant's all-around game continues to get better, and it's scary to think he still has room for improvement. The Thunder star scored a game-high 36 points, grabbed nine rebounds and even tacked on four assists.

What's Next for Oklahoma City?

The Thunder have a great shot to keep their seven-game winning streak going as they take on the Indiana Pacers at home on Sunday.

What's Next for Los Angeles?

The Lakers have now lost their last three of four, but things figure to get a bit easier as they head back home to take on the Utah Jazz on Sunday.