2010 NBA Playoffs: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, First Round, Game 3

Information about game 3 of the L.A. Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder series in the 2010 NBA Playoffs, with score, recap, pictures, stats, highlights, quotes and Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol performance.

Los Angeles Lakers

2010 NBA Playoffs First Round
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City Thunder

Series Index:

Game 1: Lakers 87, Thunder 79 at Los Angeles   Game recap & pictures
Game 2: Lakers 95, Thunder 92 at Los Angeles   Game recap & pictures
Game 3: Thunder 101, Lakers 96 at Oklahoma City Game recap & pictures
Game 4: Thunder 110, Lakers 89 at Oklahoma City   Game recap & pictures
Game 5: Lakers 111, Thunder 87 at Los Angeles   Game recap & pictures
Game 6: Lakers 95, Thunder 94 at Oklahoma City   Game recap & pictures

Back to Playoffs 2010

Los Angeles Lakers 2 - 1 Oklahoma City Thunder

GAME 3: L.A. Lakers 96 - Oklahoma City Thunder 101

Leaders Points Rebounds Assists
Lakers Bryant: 24 Gasol: 15 Bryant: 8
Thunder Durant: 29 Durant: 19 Durant/Westbrook: 4
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Tot
LAL 27 23 25 21 96
OKC 22 21 31 27 101
click for Lakers 2010 Playoff pictures (LA Daily News), First Round vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Game 3
Picture Gallery (LAT)

April 22 - Oklahoma City. The Lakers led for most of the first three quarters but then everything went wrong and the Thunder won their first playoff game at Oklahoma CIty 101-96.

The Lakers scored the first 10 points of the game and had the lead until Oklahoma tied it at 74 with an 8-0 run at the end of the third quarter that included a dunk by Westbrook and 3-pointers by Harden and Durant to make their fans go crazy. Pau Gasol made a free-throw to close the period but it was going to be the last time the Lakers were ahead on the score.

In the fourth quarter coach Scott Brooks sent Kevin Durant to defend Kobe Bryant and his defensive work was one of the keys to the Thunder victory. Kobe who had 15 points in the final period of game to 2, this time went 2 for 12 in the final 12 minutes. His team stayed close and even tied it at 80 but Oklahoma always managed to escape. Kobe ended with 24 points shooting 10-for-29 and 8 assists.

Durant again chased by Artest struggled to find his shot early missing his first 7 field goal attempts and 15 of his first 19 but he scored 12 of his 29 points in the final period. He also had 19 rebounds. Russell Westbrook had another big game and contributed 10 of his 27 points in the fourth.

Pau Gasol had 17 points and 15 rebounds while Bynum added 13 and 7. Fisher scored 17 points including 4 of 5 three-pointers but continues to have problems against Westbrook speed.

Game 4 is Saturday night again in Oklahoma City where the defending champions will try to figure it out how to stop the youngest playoff team ever from running and find a way to return home with a 3-1 lead.

The Quotes

Kobe Bryant (Lakers): "It was a matchup that caught me by surprise. I think he did a great job." about being defended by Durant in the fourth quarter.

Ron Artest (Lakers): "We just fell asleep. We probably thought we had it in the bag, In this game, especially, you've got to respect the possessions... You really can't take it for granted."

Kevin Durant (Thunder): It feels good. Playing against the reigning champs makes it even better. But we have a long ways to go. It does feel good to get our first win. It feels even better to bring the first win in the playoffs here to Oklahoma City. That's what I'm most excited about

Highlights

Los Angeles Lakers Oklahoma City Thunder
Leaders: Pts Reb Ast St Bl More
Kobe Bryant 24 4 8 2 -  
Pau Gasol 17 15 6 - 2  
Derek Fisher 17 2 3 1 -  
Andrew Bynum 13 7 2 - 1  
Ron Artest 11 3 1 1 -  
Leaders: Pts Reb Ast St Bl More
Kevin Durant 29 19 4 - 1  
R. Westbrook 27 8 4 1 -  
James Harden 18 5 3 2 -  
Jeff Green 10 4 1 - -  
Serge Ibaka 6 6 - - 1  

Complete Boxscore

LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Starters Min FG 3P FT Off Def Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF +/- Pts 
Ron Artest, SF 42 5-10 1-5 0-0 0 3 3 1 1 0 0 3 -2 11
Pau Gasol, PF 43 7-12 0-0 3-4 3 12 15 6 0 2 1 6 -4 17
Andrew Bynum, C 32 6-9 0-0 1-1 2 5 7 2 0 1 0 4 +5 13
Kobe Bryant, SG 41 10-29 4-11 0-0 0 4 4 8 2 0 3 4 +1 24
Derek Fisher, PG 36 5-8 4-5 3-3 1 1 2 3 1 0 2 3 -1 17
Bench Min FG 3P FT Off Def Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF +/- Pts 
Lamar Odom, PF 21 3-7 1-4 1-2 1 5 6 0 0 1 1 2 -10 8
Luke Walton, SF 3 0-2 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +3 0
Shannon Brown, PG 10 1-4 0-2 2-2 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 3 -12 4
Jordan Farmar, PG 12 1-3 0-2 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 -5 2
Josh Powell, C DNP COACH'S DECISION
Adam Morrison, SF DNP COACH'S DECISION
D.J. Mbenga, C DNP COACH'S DECISION
Totals 38-84 10-31 10-12 7 32 39 22 4 4 8 26   96
Percentages:   45.2% 32.3% 83.3%
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
Starters Min FG 3P FT Off Def Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF +/- Pts 
Jeff Green, F 28 3-8 1-3 3-4 1 3 4 1 0 0 0 1 -2 10
Kevin Durant, SF 42 8-24 1-6 12-13 2 17 19 4 0 1 2 3 +5 29
Nenad Krstic, C 16 1-3 0-0 1-2 4 0 4 0 0 1 3 1 -14 3
Thabo Sefolosha, SG 19 2-5 2-4 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 -8 6
Russell Westbrook, PG 42 11-21 1-1 4-5 2 6 8 4 1 0 2 2 +4 27
Bench Min FG 3P FT Off Def Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF +/- Pts 
Nick Collison, PF 28 1-4 0-0 0-2 2 3 5 2 0 0 1 5 +19 2
Eric Maynor, PG 6 0-2 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 +1 0
James Harden, G 32 4-7 3-4 7-8 0 5 5 3 2 0 0 2 +12 18
Serge Ibaka, PF 27 3-6 0-0 0-0 3 3 6 0 0 1 0 4 +8 6
Kevin Ollie, PG DNP COACH'S DECISION
Etan Thomas, C DNP COACH'S DECISION
Kyle Weaver, SG DNP COACH'S DECISION
Totals 33-80 8-19 27-34 14 39 53 16 3 3 9 19   101
Percentages: 41.3% 42.1% 79.4%

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