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Thunder rattle Lakers as Bryant struggles
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The return of Kobe Bryant hasn’t proved a panacea for the Los Angeles Lakers, who were thumped 97-122 by Western Conference rivals Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday.
Kevin Durant scored a game-high 31 points and added eight rebounds and five assists for the Thunder, who have won all 11 of their home games this season.
Serge Ibaka and Russell Westbrook both had double-doubles. Ibaka scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Westbrook added 19 points and delivered 12 assists.
Reggie Jackson chipped in with 19 points off the bench for the Thunder, who notched their 13th victory in their last 14 games.
The Lakers, meanwhile, fell to 0-3 since Bryant returned last week for the first time since tearing his left Achilles tendon in April.
Bryant finished with 13 assists, but turned the ball over seven times and scored just four points in just over 23 minutes.
Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni said it would take time for Bryant to find his top form, and to balance his duties as scoring threat with those of a point guard keeping the Lakers offense going.
Bryant has inherited the latter role with all three of the Lakers’ true point guards — Steve Nash, Jordan Farmar and Steve Blake — on the injured list.
“He’s got to do both,” D’Antoni said of Bryant’s dual role as scorer and distributor. “And he knows that. He’ll get better every game, I think he’s gotten better every game.”
D’Antoni also praised big man Pau Gasol, whose publicly expressed concerns about his role in the offense were greeted this week by an admonition from D’Antoni just to “play harder”.
“I thought Pau played well tonight,” D’Antoni said of the Spaniard, who scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds. “He was aggressive, which we have to have.”
Nick Young drained four three-pointers en route to a team-high 17 points for the Lakers, who have allowed 100 or more points in six straight games.
Elsewhere in the National Basketball Association, it was: Cavaliers 109, Magic 100; Pacers 99, Bobcats 94; Raptors 108, 76ers 100; Celtics 90, Knicks 86; Hawks 101, Wizards 99 (in overtime); Pistons 103, Nets 99; Pelicans 104, Grizzlies 98; Bulls 91, Bucks 90; Spurs 117, Timberwolves 110; Suns 116, Kings 107; Jazz 103, Nuggets 93; and Rockets 116, Warriors 112.
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