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Lakers’ defense gets lost in defeat by Oklahoma City, 127-117

Jeremy Lin drives to the basket in front of Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook during the first half of a game Tuesday at Chesapeake Energy Arena.
(Larry W. Smith / EPA)
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Oklahoma City Thunder 127 - Lakers 117 (end of regulation)

The Lakers fell apart defensively on Tuesday night, giving up 127 points to the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

The combination of Russell Westbrook, Enes Kanter and Dion Waiters dominated the Lakers. Westbrook finished with 27 points and 11 assists, Kanter scored 25 points with 16 rebounds and Waiters added 23 points.

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Steven Adams also notched a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Anthony Morrow hit four of six three-point attempts for 12 points off the bench.

Lakers rookie Jordan Clarkson finished with a career-night, scoring 30 points in the loss on 12 of 19 shooting with seven assists and three blocked shots.

Coach Byron Scott missed the game, after the passing of his mother. Assistant Paul Pressey ran the team, starting Jeremy Lin and Ryan Kelly per Scott’s instruction. Jordan Hill and Carlos Boozer both sat out, giving way to the team’s younger players.

Lin added 19 points with seven assists. Kelly scored 16, while Wayne Ellington gave 15 off the bench. Ed Davis hit all five of his shot attempts for 12 points.

The Lakers have dominated teams on the glass over the past month, but the Thunder out-rebounded the Lakers 49-28 -- perhaps having something to do with veterans Hill and Boozer watching as spectators.

The Thunder shot 55.8% from the field and 52.4% from three-point range (11-21). The Lakers weren’t far behind at 51.8% and 47.4% (9-19), but their issue for the night was clearly on the defensive side of the ball.

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With the loss, the Lakers (18-51) lose the first of five-straight road games. They’ll visit the Minnesota Timberwolves (16-54) on Wednesday. The Thunder (41-30) next play the Spurs (44-25) in San Antonio, also on Wednesday.

Oklahoma City Thunder 100 - Lakers 87 (end of third quarter)

The Thunder hit 100 points in 36 minutes, as the Lakers’ defense didn’t make the trip to Oklahoma City.

Russell Westbrook scored 27 points with 11 assists in 30 minutes of play. Enes Kanter added 25 with 16 rebounds as the Thunder shot 56.9% from the field.

Despite the deficit, rookie Jordan Clarkson played arguably his best game as a pro, scoring 25 points with seven assists, four rebounds and three blocked shots in 31 minutes. Clarkson hit 10 of 16 shots with two turnovers.

Jeremy Lin contributed 18 points with 15 assists, Ryan Kelly 14 points, and both Wayne Ellington and Ed Davis added 10 apiece.

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Carlos Boozer and Jordan Hill, both healthy, didn’t play as the Lakers chose to develop younger players.

As a team, the Lakers shot 52.3% from the field.

Oklahoma City Thunder 68 - Lakers 53 (halftime)

Jeremy Lin tried to keep the Lakers close to the Thunder, scoring 16 points with five assists in 18 minutes, but the team fell behind by 15 going into the half.

Enes Kanter scored 17 points with 12 rebounds and three assists in 15 1/2 minutes. Russell Westbrook scored 13 points with eight assists as the Thunder shot 52.1% from the field.

The Lakers also got 12 points and three assists from Jordan Clarkson, but the team’s issue in Oklahoma City in the first half was on the defensive side of the game.

Ryan Kelly added 10 points for the Lakers, as the team shot 47.6% from the field. The Thunder doubled up with 28 rebounds to the Lakers’ 14.

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Oklahoma City Thunder 37 - Lakers 27 (end of first quarter)

The Thunder quickly pulled ahead of the Lakers, led by Enes Kanter who hit a double-double in 12 minutes of play with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Oklahoma City shot 53.8% from the field, also getting nine points from Dion Waiters. Russell Westbrook scored five points with four assists.

Jeremy Lin and Ryan Kelly were both moved to the starting lineup for the game against the Thunder. Lin led the Lakers with nine points and three assists. Kelly scored seven points in eight minutes.

The Lakers shot 47.6% from the field. Both teams turned the ball over three times.

While the Lakers have dominated teams on the glass recently, the Thunder held a 17 to seven rebounding advantage.

Pregame

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The Lakers (18-50) visit the Oklahoma City Thunder (40-30) on Tuesday night.

The Thunder are short-handed without Kevin Durant (foot), Serge Ibaka (knee), Nick Collison (knee) and Andre Roberson (ankle) is questionable.

For the Lakers, Nick Young is out with a knee injury while Ronnie Price (elbow), Kobe Bryant (shoulder), Julius Randle (knee) and Steve Nash (back) are all done for the season.

For an in-depth breakdown, check out check out check out Preview: Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus

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