The
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
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
The Lakers improve to 22-42 on the season, getting an unexpected win over the 46-17 Thunder.
The Thunder, who shot 42% from the field, havd a 59-36 advantage on the boards.
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.
Starter
The Lakers are off until Thursday, when they'll visit the Thunder in Oklahoma City.
The Thunder will host the
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.
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.
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
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.
The Lakers have been led by
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.
A late Thunder run pushed their lead to nine points after a quarter against the Lakers at
Oklahoma City shot 57.1% from the field while outrebounding the Lakers, 19-6.
The Lakers were led by
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
The Lakers are still without
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