SB Nation Los Angeles - Lakers Vs. Thunder: L.A. Falls To Thunder In Home Losshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48949/la-fave.png2012-03-30T09:38:43-07:00http://losangeles.sbnation.com/rss/stream/26768122012-03-30T09:38:43-07:002012-03-30T09:38:43-07:00Lakers Schedule 2012: New Orleans, Golden State Come To Staples Center
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a> have lost three of their last four home games, including Thursday's 102-93 defeat at Staples Center to Western Conference top dog Oklahoma City. But the Lakers have a chance to bolster their Pacific Division lead over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Los Angeles Clippers</a> - currently a game and a half - with a pair of winnable home games this weekend. Here is the weekend schedule for the Lakers:</p>
<p><b>Saturday - New Orleans at Lakers (12:30 p.m., Fox Sports West)</b>: This is a rare occasion that the Clippers get the night game when they have a home game on the same day as the Lakers. The Lakers should have no problem with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/new-orleans-hornets">Hornets</a>, who are 13-38 this season. The Lakers have beaten New Orleans five straight times, and five straight times at home.</p>
<p><b>Sunday - Golden State at Lakers (6:30 p.m., Fox Sports West)</b>: The Lakers are 2-0 against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Warriors</a> this season, including a 104-101 victory on Tuesday in Oakland. Hopefully <span>Andrew Bynum</span> won't <a target="_blank" href="http://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-lakers/2012/3/29/2910292/lakers-andrew-bynum-benched-mike-brown-kobe-bryant">shoot any three-pointers in this contest</a>.</p>
<p><i><b>For more news and information on Lakers basketball, be sure to read <a target="_blank" href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com">Silver Screen and Roll</a>.</b></i></p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-lakers/2012/3/30/2914009/2012-los-angeles-lakers-nba-schedule-new-orleans-golden-state-staples-centerEric Stephen2012-03-30T07:00:59-07:002012-03-30T07:00:59-07:00Lakers vs. Thunder Highlights [VIDEO]: Durant's Dunk On Pau And More
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<p>The <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Lakers</a> dropped their third loss in four home games on Thursday night against the <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Oklahoma City Thunder</a> at the Staples Center. The Western Conference showdown had more than a few highlights. Check out Thursday night's game in GIF/Video form after the jump!</p>
<p>Let's start off with former-Laker <span>Derek Fisher</span> scoring on a runner/layup while being defended by <span>Matt Barnes</span> on the baseline in the second quarter (the fist pump at the end signals Fisher is fully converted to being a Thunder player):</p>
<p><a href="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1026263/fisher.gif"><img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1026263/fisher_medium.gif" class="photo" alt="Fisher_medium"></a></p>
<p>Next, let's take a look at this interesting exchange between the Lakers' Metta World Peace and Oklahoma City's <span>James Harden</span>. Taken out of context, it looks like Harden slapped World Peace's butt — and it looks like <span>Russell Westbrook</span> was in utter shock.</p>
<p><a href="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1026272/metta.gif"><img alt="Metta_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1026272/metta_medium.gif"></a></p>
<p>And this post would not be complete without <span>Kevin Durant's</span> posterization on <span>Pau Gasol</span> in the fourth quarter:</p>
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<p><i style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><b style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">For more Lakers news and notes, be sure to read <a target="_blank" href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" style="border-image: initial; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; color: #1e3385; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Silver Screen and Roll</a>.</b></i></p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/2012/3/30/2913286/lakers-vs-thunder-highlights-video-kevin-durant-dunk-on-pau-gasolKevin Cacabelos2012-03-29T22:23:08-07:002012-03-29T22:23:08-07:00Lakers Vs. Thunder Final Score: Russell Westbrook Dominates In 102-93 Oklahoma City Win
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a> collapsed in the second half, falling 102-93 to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Oklahoma City Thunder</a> at Staples Center on Thursday night. Former UCLA Bruins guard Russell Westbrook scored 36 points and had six assists to lead the Thunder from a five-point halftime deficit to a win.</p>
<p>But at least Andrew Bynum wasn't benched for shooting a three-pointer.</p>
<p>Bynum led the Lakers with 25 points and 13 rebounds, making 10 of his 15 field goals. However, Kobe Bryant (7-for-25), Pau Gasol (4-for-11), and Metta World Peace (3-for-13) combined to shoot 28.6% in the loss. Bryant had 23 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who shot 41.7% as a team.</p>
<p>The Lakers have dropped three of their last four home games, and their Pacific Division lead fell to a game and a half over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Los Angeles Clippers</a>.</p>
<p>Derek Fisher scored seven points in 16 minutes off the bench for the Thunder in his first game back in Staples Center since being traded to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Houston Rockets</a> on March 16. Kevin Durant added 21 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists for Oklahoma City, who has won five straight games and are the top team in the Western Conference and have the second best record in the NBA at 39-12.</p>
<p>The Lakers continue their hmestand with a pair of weekend home games, beginning with New Orleans on Saturday afternoon at Staples Center.</p>
<p><i><b>For more Lakers news and notes, be sure to read <a target="_blank" href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com">Silver Screen and Roll</a>.</b></i></p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-lakers/2012/3/29/2913229/lakers-vs-thunder-final-score-russell-westbrook-derek-fisherEric Stephen2012-03-28T14:50:10-07:002012-03-28T14:50:10-07:00Lakers Soap Opera: Mike Brown Asserts He Is In Charge
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a> installed head coach <span>Mike Brown</span> to replace <span>Phil Jackson</span> this offseason, and as expected there have been plenty of hiccups. No one is too happy with the Laker offense, which has stagnated from the days of the triangle and doesn't look terribly effective in the fourth quarter. While the Laker defense has picked up as a unit, the team seems to be struggling on the court to produce effectively.</p>
<p>However, the latest incident has more to do with how he's managing his players. In two consecutive games, Brown has benched <span>Kobe Bryant</span> and <span>Andrew Bynum</span> for critical stretches of the contest, particularly in the fourth quarter. Those personnel moves were sure to draw some controversy.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/sam_amick/03/28/mike.brown.lakers/index.html?sct=nba_t11_a0?xid=sbnation">Brown talked with Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated</a>, and he made it clear no outside forces are shaping his decisions. Not Bryant or Bynum or any of the Lakers players, not any of the Busses or general manager Mitch Kupchak. Read an excerpt after the jump.</p>
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<p>But Brown, who was never known as the hard-line sort during his days with LeBron James in Cleveland and may be trying to change that perception now, insisted that he has autonomy.</p>
<p>"Nobody has told me to do anything with [players], just like, for the most part, I haven't said, 'Hey trade this guy or trade that guy,' " Brown said. "That's not my area. Mitch has made it clear, too -- that I'm the coach and I've got to coach this team to win.</p>
<p>"No pressure is coming from Jimmy. ... I'm coaching this team how I see fit, and nobody is putting pressure on me to do this or do that. I'm making all the decisions. And at the end of the day, if the decisions don't work -- when it comes to coaching the team on the floor -- it's because they were all my decisions. If that happens, I'll be able to sleep at night no matter what happens. That's how I look at it."</p>
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<p><a target="_blank" href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/sam_amick/03/28/mike.brown.lakers/index.html?sct=nba_t11_a0?xid=sbnation">You can read the full article on Brown's interview with Sports Illustrated by clicking here</a>.</p>
<p><i><b>To talk about Brown and what he currently means to Lakers fans, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com">hit up Silver Screen and Roll</a>.</b></i></p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-lakers/2012/3/28/2909377/mike-brown-kobe-bryant-andrew-bynum-lakersAvinash Kunnath