Lakers Takes Series Lead, 2-0 | IXGAMES

A broken finger, add to that a sore knee and bum ankle, didn’t stop Kobe Bryant from making 39 points for the Los Angeles Lakers, which won against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a final score of 95-92.  Early on, the team lost the lead thrice but Bryant managed to bring them to victory, allowing them to lead the Western Conference playoffs, 2-0. This is a breakout game for Kobe Bryant, who managed to pull 13 out of 15 from the free throw.  According to the Lakers hero of the game, this is a result of the hardwork and continuous training over the last month.  Apparently, he was able to fine-tune his strokes despite doubts on his performance by critics.  On the floor, however, he was not as consistent as he was on the free throw line, as he only scored 12 out of 28.  Still, his digits are good enough for them to win the game on Tuesday night. Getting back to shape Given the several injuries he has to suffer from, some doubt that Kobe Bryant can easily get back into shape and score his highest points for the playoffs.  Proving that he is still one of the best players in the NBA, Bryant did just fine as he led the team to victory.  It seems that Lakers coach Phil Jackson didn’t doubt it for a minute.  He believed that Kobe will get back into shape despite the fact that Bryant only pulled off 30 percent of his shots during the five last games, after missing four of the final five games of the regular season.  Perhaps because of the lackluster performance, Jackson advised Bryant to take fewer shots and practice shooting better.  His performance against the Thunder last Tuesday says a lot about the training he had with coach Phil Jackson. Winning second in a row in the series Bryant actually made eight straight points when the team fell behind their opponents by one.  Even Kevin Durant who made 32 points for the Thunder noticed how Bryant made tougher shots and went to the free throw line.  Though Durant added 32 points for his team, they suffered from eight turnovers.  Obviously, the Thunder had difficulty stopping Bryant.  Lakers’ Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum were disrupted by the Thunder.  Previously, this two big men scored double digits for the Lakers in Game 1 with combined 32 points and 25 rebounds.  For this game, Gasol added 25 points to the scoreboard and contributed 12 rebounds, while Bynum made six points and completed 10 boards. Thunder coach Scott Brooks admitted that they came up a little short with these close games they had against Lakers, despite their defensive efforts.  They are yet to figure out how to close in the gap and stop Lakers from winning the series without giving it a good fight.  They were able to keep Lakers from getting far with the scoreboards because of their defense, making up to 17 blocked shots.  Despite losing the first two games, Durant is happy to say that they played well defensively.  He said that some even doubt that they can’t hold their own against such a strong team. The Lakers has a record of 39-1 all-time when it comes to beating their opponents in the best of 7 series for the first two games.  The team beating Oklahoma 2-0 is no longer a surprise. Game 3 is scheduled on Thursday and will be held in Oklahoma City, the homeground of the Thunder.