NBA Playoffs: Los Angeles Lakers Win, But So Did Oklahoma City

Kobe Bryant scored 32 points in the Lakers' 95-94 Game Six win over Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night, but it wasn't No. 24 that sealed the deal.

It was Pau Gasol.

With half a second left on the clock, Bryant missed what looked like a routine, dagger-delivering shot that we've all grown accustomed to seeing from the star.

But, the 7'0" Gasol was there to put it back and help the Lakers advance to the second round of the NBA Playoffs.

Four games to two , Los Angeles.

But you can't say that the Thunder didn't put up a fight. They were able to hold onto a razor-thin lead late into the fourth quarter. The home fans were biting their nails in anticipation of a seventh, and series-deciding duel.

The OKC faithful didn't get their wish, but they showered their team with applause after the game for good reason—they can take comfort knowing that they have three prime-time stars on their roster.

And there will be playoff berths in their immediate future. The eighth-seeded Thunder proved once again, don't count out the underdog.

Durant was amongst the league's leading scorers in the regular season, averaging just over 29 points per game. He put up 26 Friday night.

Don't forget about Russell Westbrook . The rookie out of UCLA scored 21, and was "Robin" to Durant's "Batman" for six games, and most of the regular season. He was good for 16 points, eight assists and five boards per game during the 82-game grind.

"I told them they are both incredible players," Bryant said in his post-game interview. "I told them to keep working."

Bryant's display of class was refreshing in today's world of professional athletes. When it's all said and done, he'll go down as one of the best to ever dribble a ball on the hardwood.

And he recognizes star talent when he sees it. Durant and Westbrook will be back, you can bet your bottom dollar on that. The NBA's youngest team also boasts the talent of Jeff Green , a second-year player out of Georgetown.

The trio may be one of the the league's premier collections of under-25 talent .

Oklahoma City nearly doubled its win total from a season ago. They went from a dismal 23 wins to a robust 50 in 2009-10—something the team hasn't done since its days in Seattle.

In a loss, it's often hard to see the positives—not if you're an Oklahoma City Thunder fan.