ESPN

Word on the street was that if Darius Morris had remained at Michigan one more season, he might have been a lottery pick in the first round of the 2013 draft. Instead, he opted to make the jump to the NBA and found himself selected by his hometown Lakers. Between the presences of Kobe Bryant, Steve Blake and (at the time) Derek Fisher, backcourt minutes figured, then proved, difficult to come by. Even by the typical standards for rookies playing on veteran teams with championship aspirations, Morris didn't get much run.

Statistics
19 games, 8.9 mpg, 2.4 ppg, 1.8 apg, .8 rpg, .429 FG, .444 3-PT

Highlights
The early part of his unexpected seven game stretch (1/11-1/22) filling in for Steve Blake. A rib injury to the veteran left Mike Brown no choice but to throw the kid into the fire and for the first few games of this stretch, Morris did a credible job considering the he had yet to log a minute's worth of regular season run. Four assists were doled out against the Cavs and Clips, with seven points to lead all reserves in the local contest. (He even drilled a half-court buzzer beater! The rookie didn't make anybody forget about Blake altogether, but at the very least, we saw glimpses of the potential that prompted the front office to draft him.

Lowlights
The latter part of the aforementioned seven-game stretch. Whether the result of more tape of Morris for opponents to study or simply the rigors of NBA ball catching up to Morris, the more games he played, the more he struggled to make an impact. It's one thing for his scoring to turn inconsistent, yet quite another to log just one assist over four consecutive contests. Morris looked increasingly in over his head, and Brown eventually opted to bench the Wolverine in favor of fellow rookie Andrew Goudelock as a quasi-point guard to provide the reserves a scoring punch.

Prospects for 2012-13
To some degree, this could be dictated by other point guards on the roster. Ramon Sessions (opt out), Blake (amnesty provision/trade) and/or Goudelock (potential free agency) all could find themselves part of new teams next season, which might open the door for Morris to play a larger role. (Assuming the Lakers make a qualifying offer of a little under a million bucks to retain his services, as I expect they will.) Were all three to return, Morris may once again be on the outside looking into a crowded backcourt. And I got the distinct impression from his exit interview playing time is a factor he'll use to weigh his options, should he have any. Darius is rightly concerned with establishing his credentials as an NBA-worthy player, and the process can never begin too early.

In any event, the Lakers could use more youth at this position, which leaves a door open for Morris, assuming he proves worthy of walking through it.

Grade
C

Previous Report Cards

• Christian Eyenga

About a year before Christian Eyenga joined the Lakers via trade, he made his mark on the franchise by dunking on Pau Gasol.

After being part of the purple and gold for the final third of the 2011-12 season, that dunk on Gasol remains the most lasting moment Eyenga has had involving the Lakers, which tells you just about all you need to know about his role as the 14th man on a 14-man roster.

Statistics

8.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.0 spg, 1.0 bpg, 1.0 tpg, 50.0 FG%, 0.0 3-P%, 100.0 FT%*

Highlights

Eyenga made the Lakers’ pregame layup lines must-see material once again, making up for the absence of Shannon Brown and proving that his “Skyenga” nickname is well deserved. Eyenga remained a bit of a mystery to Lakers fans outside of his pregame dunks and funky No. 88 uniform as he didn't even have an introductory press conference after being acquired in the Ramon Sessions deal at the trade deadline because of travel issues leaving the D-League's Canton Charge and getting to L.A. Still, in Eyenga's one game played with the Lakers in the regular season finale (* = that's why Eyenga's statistics line looks a little funny, because it only reflects one game), he made the most of it and scored eight points in 19 minutes against the Sacramento Kings.

Lowlights

Perhaps my favorite statistic associated with the Lakers’ season was the fact that Eyenga speaks more languages (five) than he played in games (four – three in the playoffs, one in the regular season) since joining the team in March. As fun as that stat might be, it means that Eyenga was not able to carve out a spot in Mike Brown’s rotation. The Lakers found Eyenga to be more valuable with their D-League affiliate, the L.A. D-Fenders, where he averaged 33.0 minutes, 12.2 points and 5.0 rebounds on 53.4 percent shooting in six regular season games. But even Eyenga’s D-Fenders stint didn’t go as smoothly as he would have liked as his numbers dropped to just 10.4 minutes, 2.8 points and 1.2 rebounds on 41.7 percent shooting in five D-League playoff games.

Prospects for 2012-13

Eyenga has one year remaining on his rookie contract, worth approximately $1.2 million. If the Lakers do not re-sign Matt Barnes and or Devin Ebanks, he could try to find a role as Metta World Peace's backup at small forward. The Lakers coaching staff has also worked with the 6-7, 210-pound Eyenga on his guard skills in hopes of him being able to play some backup shooting guard in the future as well. It will be an important season for Eyenga as he'll try to establish an identity as a reliable player in his third year in the league.

Grade
Incomplete.

Dave McMenamin covers the Lakers for ESPNLosAngeles.com. Follow him on Twitter.

If evidence is needed that Steve Blake's second campaign with the Lakers bested his first, one need only take a trip down "2011 Exit Interview Memory Lane." The man spoke for less than three minutes, and much of that time was filled by awkward silence. Horribly, horribly awkward silence. There are only so many ways you can ask a prideful dude not inherently chatty to begin with about his struggles in the triangle before the whole thing falls to pot. This year, Blake talked nearly 10 minutes, indicative of a season still plagued by a fair amount of lows, but capped with a nice regular season finish and some key postseason buckets.

"Over time, you get more comfortable with your teammates and they know more about you," explained Blake about gradually discovering his rhythm. "You know more about them. You kind of figure each other out. For me, it was definitely much more comfortable throughout this whole season and the playoffs."

As for why it took Blake a while to getting rolling this season, he couldn't necessarily put a finger on why.

"I think during the season some moments where you're just not playing your best basketball. But you push through it and continue to work on the things you might not doing well and you get back on track. I think for the most part, I got to a good place where I felt good and felt like I was playing pretty well."

Not just playing well, but often outplaying Ramon Sessions, imported as a theoretical answer to fill a long-time void moving forward. Sessions got off to a white-hot start, but cooled as the season continued, then appeared overwhelmed by the playoffs, where he was often outplayed by Blake. I'm guessing -- and it's purely a guess -- Sessions will exercise his player option, but if he decided to test free agency, the Terp could find himself as a potential starter. And even if Ramon returns, a legitimate argument could be made the reserves (and Sessions himself) were better served with him among them. Either way, however, Blake doesn't particularly care what role he plays, as long as it's on a winning team.

(Read full post)

Rookie Andrew Goudelock began this season as the surprise winner of Kobe Bryant's primary backup at the two-guard. Later, he played some minutes as a quasi-point guard of sorts. He's a considerably more natural scorer than playmaker, but has the literal stature of a lead guard. So what position do the Lakers see him playing sown the road? As it turns out, they may wanna split the difference.

"They see me as a combo guard," explained Goudelock. "They see my size as point guard size but my game as more two-guard. So right now, I'm a two-guard, in the future, I strive to be a point guard who can score. A point guard that can play the two. A better combo guard. I think once I get more comfortable running the point guard position, I didn't run it until this year and I was learning it in the game on the fly. So that's really tough in the NBA. I think once I get more comfortable doing that, I'll be okay.

"One thing that I keep hearing from a lot of people around the league is [I] can shoot really well and there's a need for that. As long as I can shoot, I'm always gonna be okay. But for me to be successful as I wanna be, me tweaking those other areas, it's really important. Nobody wants to be a one-dimensional, two-dimensional player. I strive to be like some of the guys I came up watching. I always watched Allen Iverson, but you know, I don't think my career is gonna be anything like this. You have to be more realistic when you have watch guys and you wanna pattern your game after guys.

"I've always liked Chauncey Billups. Right now that's probably the biggest guy I'm looking to be somewhat like. Just keep trying to get better."

(Read full post)

This was no easy season for Pau Gasol, between the weight carried from a poor 2011 postseason, being traded/untraded for Chris Paul, hearing his name swirl around the rumor mill like a Hollywood Starlet in the pages of US Weekly, and a new role that didn't play to his strengths in a compressed season that offered little time to practice out the kinks. His streak of three consecutive All-Star bids came to an end, replaced instead by a streak of public comments from Kobe Bryant cajoling him to be more aggressive.

Beyond receiving the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, Gasol's reasons to smile were limited this season. And the rediscovery of a toothy grin may come while donning a different uniform. Even before Mitch Kupchak acknowledged later in the afternoon a shakeup could be coming, Gasol's demeanor and body language wasn't that of someone banking on a return next season. He was the odd man out of this year's system -- and a pricey one at that -- which could lead to being out altogether. For the time being, however, he remains in his customary state: Limbo.

"I wish I could have clarification, but they can't give it to me right now," said Gasol. "I think management still has talk to ownership to see what direction this thing will be going next year... If they knew it would be good to know obviously, but I understand. We just finished playing two days ago, things don't work that easily. I wont really worry too much about it. It's something I've been through already this year, so if something does happen, it does and if it doesn't I'll be happy to be back next training camp ready to go, and Hopefully have much more peaceful year, and just focus on our goal, which will be to try to win another championship."

Besides, as Gasol noted, he, Mike Brown and Mitch Kupchak didn't spend nearly as much time talking about the future as the recent past. The pow wow lasted about an hour, which is very long by exit interview meeting standards. But considering the chaos of Pau's season, it's not surprising extra time would be required to hash out matters. Unlike the airing of grievances that accompany Festivus, Pau didn't present the sitdown as heated or hostile. His recounting of events came with the typical Gasol-ian politeness. But it's clear he got some things off his chest.

"I told them it was hard for me at times," shared Gasol. "I never had to search for offense or for looks in teams I've been on. They've always been, not given to me, but I always had them because of what I bring to table. So to have to go and search, I have struggled at points, at times with that. But obviously when you have certain players are also very good contributors on the offensive end, you have to make sure combine all those weapons, make them work at their best. And that takes a little bit of time, too.

"I always like to be aggressive and proactive, but I was still trying to adjust to the fact it was different. I wasn't getting the same things I was getting before. I'm not used to attacking from different positions on the court. Analyzing a little more made me think of it a little more. But I don't like excuses at all. It's just analyzing and seeing the fact and understanding why things happen a certain way."

(Read full post)

For any NBA rookie, the inaugural season is a learning experience, but for Darius Morris, this was truly the case. Without the benefit of much playing time (just 169 total minutes over 19 games), the L.A. native wasn't left with much to do beyond gain an education. Thus, he made the most of a campaign spent primarily on the inactive roster, as he explained Wednesday in El Segundo.

Morris learned while observing opposing point guards from the bench, paying close attention to the "little tricks" in the back pockets of folks like Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and Tony Parker. He learned from Kobe Bryant and Metta World Peace, the former with whom he forged an additionally strong friendship and the latter a self-appointed mentor. He learned what it took to win a lot of games at the NBA level.

But perhaps most importantly, he learned how to "stay ready," a refrain constantly repeated by players out of the rotation.

"As young players, we kind of embraced that, because you see how quickly things can happen, explained Morris. "I wasn't even dressing and active, and then Steve Blake goes down, I'm thrown into the fire. That right there. Everyone has their little moments. Or Dev (Ebanks), not being in the rotation and Kobe goes out. You would never expect it... It's just something you've got to do. This is your career. You are getting paid to stay ready and not have any excuses."

For his willingness to accept that and other challenges, Mike Brown praised the rookie during his exit interview for growth the coach witnessed between December and April.

(Read full post)

Never let it be said Metta World Peace isn't an eternal optimist. Despite exiting the second round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season, MWP doesn't consider the Lakers in need of radical change. Heck, he's still struggling to conceptualize the Oklahoma City Thunder as a team superior than his in the first place.

"The best team in the NBA lost in five," insisted MWP. "The best team in the NBA should be up 3-2, playing tomorrow. But the better team that took advantage of the moment, that took advantage of their time, they seized it and they grabbed it. They held onto it. So we gotta find a way to hold onto our moments."

MWP's time with the media was peppered with the phrase "should be up 3-2," and the overarching theme of his comments could be labeled "confidence." He's confidence in the form discovered after several months laboring and working himself back into shape. (The lockout prevented MWP from consulting the training staff to address a nerve issue in his back, and his conditioning in turn suffered.) The process was slow, and MWP was admittedly unsure he'd ever come close to the two-way dominance of his prime. But come April, slimmed down and healthy, Metta finally broke through and has no doubts this version will be the one gracing the hardwood moving forward.

"I just feel like I want to pick up right where I left off, and kind of prove something," proclaimed the former Defensive Player of the Year. "I never like to prove anything, but this time around, I kind of want to prove a little bit."

Metta also emphatically stressed the importance of this self-confidence trickling down to certain teammates. Particularly when it comes to deferring to Kobe Bryant. As far as MWP's concerned, the Mamba may be one of the greatest ever, but during crunch time those alongside him must start viewing themselves as equally worthy of making plays.

"I think at the end of the game, guys gotta trust themselves more," said MWP. "I think sometimes, not myself, but sometimes guys, they look to Kobe too much. I think they gotta understand Mitch (Kupchak) brought you here. Mitch also assembled teams that won championships, so he knows what he's doing. And he brought you here for a reason. Because you're good. So believe in yourself.

"When I first got here, I know Kobe is an amazing player. I know me and Kobe had a lot of conflict when we were on opposite teams, but I still looked up to Kobe because he played like (Michael) Jordan and Jordan is my favorite player. So when I got here, sometimes I would be in awe of Kobe, watching Kobe to see if he would make the shot. Wanting to see him win the game with the game-winner. And every game I'm like, 'He's gonna win! He's gonna win!' But I'm not making an impact on the game. I'm watching Kobe. Guys moving forward have to believe in themselves. I think if guys believe in themselves, you're gonna see a whole different team.

"You're playing with a great player. Five championships. I don't know how many people can say they got five championships in any sport. So no matter who the player is, you come to this team, you will look at Kobe as one of the greatest players ever. You know? But playing with Kobe for a long time, I understand I gotta chip in. I must chip in. So I think the young guys, not the older guys, a lot of young guys went through it this year. And I think coming back next year, they just have to understand, we gotta chip in.

"Chip in. Don't watch... chip in so Kobe can get his sixth ring, so I can get my second, and Pau (Gasol) can get his third, and things like that."

(Read full post)

And the dream, she's now officially over. It was tight for a while, but then the fourth quarter floodgates opened early, and the Lakers were washed up in a flurry of OKC scoring. Too much Russell Westbrook. Too much Kevin Durant. Too much James Harden. And not enough contributions beyond those from Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace and Pau Gasol. (Five bench points? Yeesh.) But at the end of the day, the biggest problem was getting matched up against the Thunder. They're unquestionably the better team, and the Lakers would have needed to play nearly perfect basketball for 48 minutes a night in order to pull an upset. That requirement wasn't close to met, so the superior team advanced.

Here are five takeaways from the Lakers' final game of the 2012 season.

1) Kobe Bryant really wanted to win this game
I mean, really, really, really wanted to win this game. And this desire was made perfectly clear from the outset, as The Mamba was in attack mode with 24 capital "A's." 42 points would be impressive under any circumstances, particularly when you consider the bag of tricks emptied while unleashing Bryant's arsenal. But what really drives home Kobe's relentless pursuit was his five dunks. Let that number sink in for a second.

Five.

I'm guessing most fans would choose as their favorite a spectacular reverse throwdown to cap a baseline drive, but really, whatever selection isn't nearly as significant as there being five to choose from. That's a lot of jumping around for a 33-year old, who admitted after a 2011 postseason posterization of Emeka Okafor he saves these jams for a rainy day. Remember, dude ain't as young as he used to be. A contest to save the season certainly qualifies as the proper time to empty the tank, and Bryant didn't hold back.

He's tough out there," said Durant about Kobe in his postgame interview with TNT's Craig Sager. "He's a warrior."

(Read full post)

With their backs against the wall, it's obvious what the Lakers must do to send this series back to L.A.: Play near-perfect basketball against a team that's not only more talented, but better at closing tight contests. Nothing less will likely get the job done, especially in the Thunder's insanely loud building. The confidence of fans, based on the LO'L chatter, appears low, but what actually matters is the confidence of Lakers players. We'll get an idea of their collective belief -- and what that's worth -- soon enough.

For a look ahead to Game 5, we had an IM conversation with Royce Young, who covers the Thunder for the TrueHoop network's Daily Thunder blog. Below is the transcript.

Andy Kamenetzky: What stood out most to you in the Thunder comeback/Lakers collapse?

Royce Young: The obvious thing people want to point out is Kobe Bryant's shot selection the final few minutes, but what stuck out to me was Russell Westbrook. He's been steadily improving at sensing his moments, where he can separate from Kevin Durant, and he picked an outstanding place in Game 4. He did the heavy lifting, and Durant carried them across the finish line. But like I said, it seems Kobe-ball had a lot of people talking.

AK: I watched the fourth quarter again, and there were definitely possessions where he went into "head down/Mamba/iso" mode and most weren't terribly fruitful. But Metta World Peace and Steve Blake also over-dribbled some possessions. Andrew Bynum was getting fronted, and as a team, they adjusted poorly. In the meantime, the Lakers' D went to pot.

Oh, and the mother of all bad turnovers from Pau Gasol!

It was just horrible execution on both sides of the ball, and OKC capitalized.

RY: One thing that's really hit home is just how fragile a playoff game can be. Each possession is priceless. The Thunder have valued the ball more than ever, and have approached games with a crazy amount of focus. Down seven, down 13, they see it as just pressing on and not letting up until the clock officially runs out. Whether that's just the natural evolution of maturity, or a voice in the locker room like Derek Fisher, the team doesn't lose focus even when times are tough.

Brian Kamenetzky: Still, the Lakers have played three straight competitive games. Royce, do you see in those any reason for Thunder fans to worry?

RY: To be frank, no. The Lakers are in a position where they need to win three straight, two of those games in Oklahoma City, and the Lakers weren't a strong road team this season. It's obvious not much separates the teams, but the Thunder are deeper and more talented than the Lakers. Unless they get tight and anxious about closing, they should handle their business.

Some are probably thinking about Game 4 in Dallas last season for the Lakers. Is this team different, or could they be headed toward a clunker in Game 5?

(Read full post)

"Pau's got to be more assertive. He's the guy out there that we need. When he's getting the ball he's looking to pass. He's got to be aggressive. He's got to shoot the ball. He's got to drive the ball to the basket and he will in the next game ... He's just looking to swing the ball too much, he's just got to shoot it. We played pretty much the same way the entire game. The second half what they did was front Andrew (Bynum), so when they front Andrew and in the fourth quarter they crowd me, the other guys have to be more aggressive, simple as that." - Kobe Bryant

"It's hard to say. Obviously we want the ball in Kobe's hands, but it doesn't necessarily need to be so early in the shot clock. I think it should get there later in the shot clock when the ball has moved and changed sides of the floor. Instead of being there from the beginning and then they kind of collapse and everybody's kind of sitting and it makes it hard for us, sometimes." - Pau Gasol

Above are two very different thoughts expressed by the Lakers' stars when asked about the stagnant fourth quarter offense that, along with simultaneously porous defense, eventually resulted in a blown lead and 3-1 deficit heading to Oklahoma City. Upon hearing these remarks, fans and media are typically inclined to debate "who's right" in an effort to determine which Laker was most "at fault" for the loss. But for me, what was most compelling about these comments was the stark reality exposed.

Kobe and Pau aren't on the same page. At all.

(Read full post)

This episode was filmed before Game 3, the first solid postseason showing for Ramon Sessions (12 points, 4 assists) in quite some time. All in all, the young point guard has underwhelmed in his first playoffs, sparking legitimate concern about his future with the Lakers. Along with Arash Markazi, we discuss why Sessions has struggled and his fit moving forward.

On one hand, the odds are stacked significantly against the Lakers while down 0-2. On the other hand, there's an opportunity to build on many things done legitimately well in Game 2, and in a home setting to boot. Which hand wins out? Along with Arash Markazi, we debate the question. (And look at us on the NBA Countdown set! We're all growns up and we're all growns up and we're all growns up!)

There is a popular saying that a series doesn't really begin until the home team loses. History, however, says that when the home team holds serve in the first two games, the series is over. Courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information, teams up 2-0 have won 94.2 percent of any series. Even the Lakers, among the most successful franchises in sports history, have only won 10.5 percent (2-of-19) after falling into this hole. The last successful bucking of the odds required a miracle shot from Derek Fisher (ironically now playing for the squad looking to eliminate the Lakers). That's what ultimately made the inability to close out Game 2 even more painful. A split in Oklahoma wouldn't have put the Lakers in the driver's seat, but an upset at least would have felt somewhat feasible. Instead, a battle uphill from the outset has taken on the feel of K2.

For more thoughts on Game 3, we conducted an instant-message exchange with Royce Young from the True Hoop network's Daily Thunder blog. Below is the transcript.

Andy Kamenetzky: As much as Game 2 was about the Lakers' failure to execute down the stretch, it was also reflective of the Thunder not giving up and remaining opportunistic. How characteristic is that of their nature?

Royce Young: Very. Game 2 Wednesday was extremely similar to Game 1 against Dallas in which OKC came back from a seven-point deficit with a few minutes remaining, capped by a Kevin Durant game winner. The Thunder have made a habit out of those types of wins. They feel like as long as they have time on the clock, they're alive. Which they should, because at any moment Durant, Russell Westbrook or James Harden can go on a burst and get them back in a game.

From the other side, is it like the Lakers to let a lead slip like that?

AK: Unfortunately, yes. Not necessarily at the end of a game, because the Lakers were 10-4 this season in games decided by three points or fewer. But a loss of focus is always a threat to plague them at any moment. All season, this team has suffered inopportune and self-induced lapses. Sometimes, they've resulted in losses. Other times, wins became more complicated than necessary. But either way, the Lakers are a team of bad habits, which makes slippage in the last two minutes not necessarily stunning.

But full disclosure, I was jaw-dropped by this. I just kept staring at the TV with this far-gone look on my face, like Private Pyle during his last scenes in "Full Metal Jacket."

RY: Allow me to be honest, as well: I had given up on the Thunder after Bynum's hook shot went down to make it seven. I just didn't see a way back, not with the way they were executing offensively.

AK: Speaking of execution, you've mentioned before the Thunder's periodic tendencies to go iso-happy and bog the entire offense. Wednesday night felt like one of those nights. Do you agree, and if so, to your eye, what caused it?

RY: I'm not entirely sure the Thunder played all that differently than they did in Game 1, but two things stifled the offense: The pace favored the Lakers, and the shots didn't fall with great regularity. Durant had attempted only eight shots entering the fourth quarter, instead choosing to kick out off his drives. The Lakers adjusted well on Westbrook and forced him into a poor shooting night. And the bailout guy, Harden, wasn't able to get going. That's where that ugly, ugly offense can come from. It's a strange thing, since they're so wildly talented on that end. But sometimes, it just doesn't work. But the Lakers deserve a lot of credit for that.

Brian Kamenetzky: I thought the Lakers' adjustments in the pick-and-roll, with the aggressive trapping and activity from the bigs, frustrated OKC. Coverages were more proactive and consistent, a big change from Game 1. Combine that with the work they did limiting the Thunder's transition opportunities, and it seemed like OKC was frustrated.

(Read full post)

Wow. Just... wow.

There are losses. There are bad losses. And there are bad losses that carry the sting of 1,000 bees -- all born and raised in Oklahoma, naturally -- working in unison to attack as one. A primo chance to drastically alter the tone of this series went out the window, and the Lakers will have to work overtime to dig themselves out of a hole. And by "overtime," I mean "quite possibly beyond their capabilities." And by "hole," I mean "grave."

On tonight's Lakers Late Night, we broke down the break down over the final two minutes, along with ...

• The magnitude of the wasted opportunity. The Lakers blew a seven point lead with two minutes remaining, fueled by giveaways and mismanaged possessions.
• A rough fourth quarter for Kobe Bryant, who not only turned over the ball in a critical spot with 1:45 remaining, but also missed his final five shots in a 2-of-7 final frame.
• Yet another disappearing act for Ramon Sessions. Two points, no assists, one turnover. He wasn't the only member of the supporting cast coming up short, and along with a lack of outside shooting from the team (2-of-13 from 3-point range) it was too much to overcome, despite a great effort defensively.
• A look ahead to Game 3. Is there any way the Lakers play themselves back into the series?

It was like any of the thousands of practices in which Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant had gone up against each other since entering the league as rookies with the Lakers in 1996.

But this time, there were 18,203 mostly blue-shirted fans in the stands, Fisher was wearing his Oklahoma City home white uniform and Bryant his purple Lakers road jersey, and the spirit of competition was dampened by the fact Fisher's Thunder were already up by 30 when he matched up with Bryant on defense and got him to miss a turnaround jumper on the baseline.

"It was interesting," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said Tuesday. "I was a little worried for Derek. But (Kobe) did miss the shot."

It wasn't the first time Bryant and Fisher have been opponents. There were those years when Fisher played for Utah and Golden State before coming back to L.A. for rings No. 4 and No. 5. It wasn't even the first time this season they've played each other, as the Lakers and Thunder had two games in the regular season since Fisher was traded from the Lakers in March.

It was the first playoff game, however. Now, Fisher and Bryant find themselves pitted against one another in individual quests for a sixth championship, rather than going for it together.

(Read full post)