Lakers turn back the Thunder, 114-110
The Lakers upset the Oklahoma City Thunder, 114-110, on Sunday afternoon at Staples Center, playing against one of the top teams in the Western Conference in their fifth game in seven days.
Jodie Meeks finished with a career-high 42 points, including 20 in the third quarter to outscore the Thunder's 19. Meeks shot 11 of 18 from the field, 6 of 11 from three-point range and 14 of 14 from the line.
The Lakers, who gave up an astounding 408 points over their last three games, fell behind early by as many as 18 before Meeks helped his team forge a 36-point turnaround.
Naturally, the Thunder rallied late behind a pair of three-pointers from former Lakers guard Derek Fisher, five quick points from Reggie Jackson and a driving dunk by Russell Westbrook.
Kent Bazemore served as closer for the Lakers, scoring seven points in the final two minutes. Westbrook hit a three-pointer with 1.3 seconds left to pull the Thunder to within two, but Pau Gasol sealed the victory with two free throws with 0.7 seconds on the clock.
The Lakers improve to 22-42 on the season, getting an unexpected win over the 46-17 Thunder.
Kevin Durant had a triple-double for Oklahoma City, with 27 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. Serge Ibaka contributed 21 points and 15 rebounds. Westbrook had 20 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
The Thunder, who shot 42% from the field, havd a 59-36 advantage on the boards. Jackson added 14 points while Fisher finished with eight.
Gasol finished with a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, shot 46.9% from the field and 41.9% from three-point range.
Ryan Kelly started at power forward, giving the Lakers 12 points, eight assists, five rebounds and two blocked shots.
Wesley Johnson, who slid from the four to small forward to match up with Durant, scored 11 and had five assists. Bazemore came off the bench to score 11, while Jordan Farmar chipped in 12.
Starter Kendall Marshall didn't score but dished 10 assists in 27 minutes.
The Lakers are off until Thursday, when they'll visit the Thunder in Oklahoma City.
The Thunder will host the Houston Rockets (43-19) on Tuesday.
Lakers 87, Thunder 75 (end of third quarter)
Jodie Meeks scored 20 points in the third quarter , helping the Lakers climb ahead by 12 points after trailing earlier in the game by 18.
In 29 minutes, Meeks has a career-high 38 points while shooting nine of 16 from the field, including 6 of 11 from three-point range and 14 of 14 from the free-throw line.
Kevin Durant leads the Thunder with a triple-double of 17 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Serge Ibaka has a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
The Thunder are shooting 42.1% from the field and have a 46-28 rebounding advantage over the Lakers.
The Lakers have made 43.8% of their shots from the field and 40% from three-point range. They also took 23 free throws, making 21, while the Thunder have attempted only seven.
Thunder 56, Lakers 51 (halftime)
The Lakers battled all the way back from an 18-point deficit to close to within three points with 1 1/2 minutes left in the half.
Oklahoma City unraveled a bit in the second quarter with a pair of clear path violations and a technical foul on Russell Westbrook.
Still, the Thunder continued to dominate the glass, collecting four rebounds in the final 41 seconds to help push the lead back to five by halftime.
Serge Ibaka leads the Thunder with 14 points. Kevin Durant has 10 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in 20 minutes.
The Lakers have been led by Jodie Meeks with 18 points, including a perfect 8 for 8 at the free-throw line.
The Thunder shot 45.5% from the field and held a 37-18 rebounding advantage.
The Lakers made only 37.8% of their shots from the field but were able to get to the line 16 times, making 14. Oklahoma City attempted just three free throws.
Thunder 35, Lakers 26 (end of first quarter)
A late Thunder run pushed their lead to nine points after a quarter against the Lakers at Staples Center on Sunday afternoon.
Kevin Durant converted a four-point play with 9.4 seconds left, finishing the quarter with a game-high 10 points.
Oklahoma City shot 57.1% from the field while outrebounding the Lakers, 19-6.
The Lakers were led by Jodie Meeks with eight points. Wesley Johnson scored seven, starting at small forward as a defensive option against Durant.
Ryan Kelly started at power forward with Kent Bazemore moving to the bench. Kelly scored four points while blocking two shots in a little less than 10 minutes.
The Lakers shot only 38.1% from the field.
Pregame
The Lakers (21-42) play their fifth game in seven days, hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder (45-16) at Staples Center on Sunday afternoon.
The Thunder are still adjusting to the return of All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook from a knee injury, but are a top team in the Western Conference.
The Lakers are still without Nick Young (knee), Kobe Bryant (knee) and Steve Nash (nerve root irritation).
For a more in-depth breakdown, check out Preview: Lakers vs. Thunder
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Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter
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