No Kevin Durant, no Russell Westbrook, no problem for the Oklahoma City Thunder who went into Los Angeles short-handed and thumped the Lakers, 108-101.

Durant missed his sixth consecutive game with a foot injury, while Westbrook sat out after undergoing surgery on his cheek bone to repair a fracture. In addition, the Thunder was also without big man Steven Adams, but this game had major significance for them since they only owned a half game lead over the New Orleans Pelicans for the eighth seed.

The Lakers have been short-handed all year long, but they had been playing terrific ball of late, winning three straight games.

However, L.A. started off extremely cold from the field in the first quarter, allowing the Thunder to jump out to a 13-point lead. Oklahoma City did not look back, as they lead wire to wire.

D.J. Augustin, who replaced Russell Westbrook in the starting lineup, orchestrated the Thunder offense to perfection. We saw Augustin do the same with the Detroit Pistons once Brandon Jennings went down with injury, and he came through in a big way for OKC in this important game. The 27-year-old point guard put in 18 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in 41 minutes of play.

With their two superstars out, Serge Ibaka had the pressure of stepping up as well since he is the Thunder’s third best player. Ibaka did not disappoint, adding 18 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks. He may have also altered a handful of layups near the basket.

The Lakers tied the game at 45-all with 3:31 remaining in the second quarter. But, the Thunder closed the half on an 11-3 run, capped off by a buzzer beating 32-foot three-point jumper by Augustin.

Throughout the rest of the game the Lakers kept pulling within four or five points, but Oklahoma City answered back, extending the lead back to double digits.

Off the Thunder bench, Jeremy Lamb shined tonight, scoring 14 points on 5 of 8 shooting, as he drained timely baskets to keep his team ahead every time the Lakers made runs. Newly acquired Enes Kanter also made his presence felt with 16 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists of his own. He was bullying the Laker bigs in the paint all game long.

The Lakers bench was phenomenal as usual, putting in 52 points. They were without the services of Nick Young for a third consecutive game, but Jeremy Lin continued his fine play. He finished with 20 points, eight assists, six rebounds, and three steals on 7 of 14 shooting. Lin did everything in his power in the fourth quarter to help L.A. come back, but it was not enough.

Another key player off Los Angeles’ bench was Jordan Hill. The big man posted a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Ed Davis was a factor early in the first half, as he notched 10 points, six boards, and two blocks. He was quiet in the second half.

Oklahoma City’s veteran big man Nick Collison made huge plays for his team tonight, recording 12 points, four rebounds, and two blocks in 22 minutes. Just like Lamb, Collison was hitting timely baskets and coming away with crucial defensive plays.

With this win, the Thunder ended the Lakers’ three-game winning streak and improved to 33-27 on the season, still holding on to the eighth seed. The Lakers dropped to 16-42, as they still own the fourth worst record in the league.

The new additions for the Thunder have been impressive, aiding the team in a time of need. The good thing for Oklahoma City is that they do not play until Wednesday, March 4th, which should buy enough time for Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant to make their return. Westbrook is expected to play with a face mask, while Durant has been doing some drills and is getting closer to return. Steven Adams is also nearing the end of his original timetable and could be back on Wednesday.

Whatever the case may be, the Thunder is poised to hold on to to the eighth and final spot in the West and could possibly make a final push for a higher seed once the team is fully healthy.

The Lakers will hit the road once again, to face the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday, March 3rd. The Hornets are trying their best to make a playoff push of their own out East. 

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About the author
Vahan Shakhpazyan
Vahan Shakhpazyan loves the NBA with a passion and has been an avid follower for 18 years. He is a UCR graduate with a BA degree in Creative Writing. The man behind the Facebook page NBA updates.