Durant Had Nothing and Everything to do with Shutting Down Kobe

By Craig Kwasniewski 

It wasn't his length, it wasn't his hands, it wasn't his footwork, it's wasn't defensive positioning, it wasn't THAT block but it was all Kevin Durant in shutting down Kobe late late on the way to a 101-96 win for Oklahoma City. Kevin Durant the future, Kevin Durant the league's leading scorer, Kevin Durant the humble leader of the team of the 2010's. The Kevin Durant that Kobe, in his mind, has to challenge head on. 

Lakers fans are familiar with this Kobe Bryant, the one who gets caught up in the one-on-one alpha dog battle for supremacy. Never mind the score or the situation, if you challenge Kobe he'll size you up and go right back at you. Normally saved for a random December game against the likes of Dwyane Wade, we saw THAT Kobe tonight and the Lakers blew a golden opportunity to kill a young and inexperienced team and possibly sweep the Thunder. I'll be frank... 

This loss was solely on Kobe! 

I hate saying that considering all the wins he got the Lakers over the years, but with all the greatness and clutch moments you get a game like tonight. This is the price of Kobe, being the ultimate competitor... correction being THE ultimate competitor in the NBA, he'll always take a challenge head on. This is who he is. This is the person that makes the player. The only problem is that this player cost the Lakers a playoff game tonight. 

Stats and shot charts won't tell the story. Watch the game again. Late in the 4th, Scott Brooks for some reason put Kevin Durant on Kobe. A confusing (Durant never defends Kobe) yet brilliant move by the 2009-10 coach of the year. But Brooks saw a fatigued Kobe and put a VERY long and athletic Durant on him late. Maybe he knew Kobe always had trouble against length. Just look back at the 2008 Finals with James Posey or the 2007 first round against Shawn Marion (even 2006 Marion defended Kobe just enough in Game 6 to save the Suns season), Kobe challenged those two and came up short. Scott Brooks earned his COY award tonight with that move.  Well played... well played. 

So what happened? Kobe took Durant on every possession down the stretch. Forget that Bynum was being fronted and was prime for a lob and dunk. Forget that Pau Gasol had a brilliant offensive game for the first three quarters. Gasol seemed to have figured out the Thunder's defensive schemes and found the right spaces on the floor, scoring at the right times. Oh and did I mention he had a myriad of highlight plays including a sky-high runner, a sweet tip-in and even a (wait for it) message sending dunk (well as much of a message as Pau can softly send... more like a whisper... but still a message). 

Kobe kept shooting and shooting. And a once dominant lead disappeared and the Thunder rode their energetic crowd and all their XXXXXL blue shirts to victory (wow how crazy, a red state is a little on the plus size!).

Kobe will bounce back for Game 4. He's smart enough to see the error in his ways. What bothers me (and should bother him) is that he caught caught up in the mano-a-mano battle with Durant instead of playing within himself.  He should have found Bynum and Gasol down low, he should have pulled Odom to the side for a pep talk and he should have led his TEAM to victory.  

Save the alpha dog battles for the regular season or the trophy presentation and not in the middle of a playoff game.

PS - Oh and don't think I didn't forget about you Lamar!  Last season it took until the Western Conference Finals before you joined the Lakers.  They need you sooner, feel free to play.

PS2 - And the Thunder got EVERY call.  This was expected. Stern is HUGE friends with their owner Cletus Johnson and with Durant as the superstar of the future I'm not surprise to see some "home cooking" tonight. But the calls were so one-sided that it actually affected the Lakers defensive aggression in the 3rd quarter.  They stopped closing the lanes on drives because the Thunder got freethrows on EVERY drive.  And OKC is smart enough to take advantage. 

That said, the Lakers still win if Kobe didn't get into it with Durant.

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Comments

[Carl Wood]

All the shirts they gave away were a size Large - but if it helps with your sardonic attempt at condescending humor then by all means...

[Almost an impressed reader]

It is so hard to hide arrogance and "homerism", even when you try to be critical in your article. IF you got a degree in journalism, this article would have received an "F". You had a chance to tell a great story, based on very solid insight, but gave away your support for one team and forgot to tell the entire story.

[Coach Nick]

Great article. If you want to see the video version, which is eerily similar to what you said above, check out my video blog (complete with highlights) at http://www.bballbreakdown.com

[Diana]

The info about Stern being friends with the OK owner...interesting. Not to say they aren't an up and coming team to be reckoned with, but still...the game last night was SOOOO lopsided in the foul calling. Why isn't there some type of recourse. Refs are human, but there should be some type of accountability when they consistently call either lopsided games or more favorably for particular teams. I'm a Kobe fan, but you are right...his attitude helped loose the game...you're also right that Odom needs to actually show up for the game!

[Dave]

This article was right on the money.Kobe and the refs beat the Lakers.That doesnt say that the Thunder didn't play a good game they did but the Lakers lead the whole game in OKC and will win game 4 barring ref interference.

[PAT SLADE]

Been saying this forever: GET THE REFS OUT OF THE GAME. FORGET MARKET SHARE FOR ALL THE TEAMS AND LET THEM PLAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ITS THE SAME OLD STORY LOOK AT THE FOULS. HOW STUPID CAN WE BE FOR SUPPORTING THIS JUNK.

[Tom W.]

David Stern is embarrassing to the NBA and an insult to the fans. He needs to focus on fining the refs for their lack of ability to recognize a foul. After all, aren't they the ones who were found guilty of gambling on games. Take a look in the mirror Sterns. Leave the NBA.

[Ritchie]

Ha Ha Ha its funny how everybody thats criticizing the refs happens to be a Laker or Kobe fan, maybe the reason why okl had way more freethrows was their aggressiveness, who ever says otherwise obviously didnt watch the game

[Craig Kwasniewski is a douche bag!]

Where is your most recent blog after game 4?

[Simon]

It always cracks me up to read these entries after the underdog wins. by all means the lakers, specifically kobe, never get any controversial calls to go thier way. i know more than two people have been watching this series. i live in oklahoma so of coarse im going to root for the home team, but even in the losses in LA i saw an OKC team that struggled at times and played pretty well at times, but no matter how the game was going they hustled thier asses off. Ive never seen a team this young play defense the way they do. I dont know if ive seen any team put such weight on defense period.
you can say all you want about stern and the refs if it makes you feel better, but you cant sit and say that the Thunder dont deserve the two wins that they have. Game four was amazing and the refs dont give a team a double digit lead in the first quarter. they jumped the lakers and never let up and i cant wait to see what this team looks like in the future. and yes i have to say that its interesting that there isnt an updated blog after game four. GO THUNDER!!!!

[DHIII]

The Thunder shot nearly 50 free throws enough said

[joel b]

the refs aren't required to call equal number of fouls for both teams. refs call fouls when fouls are committed and if one team commits more than the other then that's how the calls will go.

[Country hermit]

how come when the flakers lose, there is always an ulterior reason.....referees etc. Kobe gets as many calls as anyone in the league. Face it the arrogance of the flakers isn't bothering the Thunder at all. Maybe the flakers ought to man up and just play the real game instead of the head games they play. Go Thunder!!!

[john cassotta]

I'm not a Laker fan,but a basketball fan.Anyone who saw all the games so far can't honestly say that the ref's are calling the same calls both ways.

[Chris]

I am a Laker fan, but I think Kobe needs to grow-up an use his brain. I think Lakers is suck right now.

[Edson Sumbana]

Im just anba fan watching from South Africa, gotta tell you these series are proving to be very interesting.
I dont think we should put any accountability on the refs for calls, they are just trying to regulate.
Now Kobe needs to figure out(along with Phil Jackson) a way to bully the Thunder, I say the answer is LO, he is always the game breaker, but as lasts year Kobe has to be confident in his teammates to make shots and plays. i dont think Kobe is seeing that at the moment, for some reason, so if im in the Lakers team, im practicing my shots and if Im Gasol or bynum I want the ball more, bring in the hi-lo set in every variety.
OKC is riding the wave just as they are suposed cant hate them for that, let the kids play, they are getting calls beacause they are working for that.
So its back to LA and I want to see a hungry lakers team in front of their home crowd.

[lew]

I think most of these ref's are watching the game, so when a foul happens they don't see it correctly. Maybe their betting on the Thunder or getting paid to throw the game, think!!!!!!!!!!

[Iannyb]

That's about it for Kobe. Add him to the list 'Stars who dropped off quickly" he's just gonna be a grumpy old man the rest of the way.

R.I.P Kobe

[Rodney Rhoe]

Kobe needs to start taking the summers off from basketball,forget about the Olympics,he's got gold already.He's played a lot of games and the nagging injuries are a result of playing too much.

[Valeda]

Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce you to the OKC Thunder..the Team to lead all Teams. They play good clean Basketball..play it like it should be played. With determination, athltics, smarts and a will to show the world what it's all about - Basketball played with style! The Lakers are a good Team, yes, but their time has come and gone and Thunder follows lightening and so they have come to play some hard ball tonight and strike while it's hot! The Refs have always been used for an out as to the reason certain Teams didn't win..give me a break! Play Ball the way it's supposed to, like our Thunder and you do't have to make excuses.

[Laker Lover]

Hey joel, that was pretty sweet of you to put how the refs dont favor one team over the other. Helmut

[Victor]

I wonder how guys like you (Mr. Closet Basketball Analyst) imagine yourself. Even while you live in your closet away from the knowledgeable basketball world, you still managed to get your ridiculous head out of smelling your own armpit enough to write a blog so outrageous that I had to question my own mental state for reading it.

You want to be like Kobe so bad, but your inadequacies left you hanging on to being just a hater. Yet, the one thing you could have tried to do well (writing a blog), you suck at it too. What a shame!!

[coach handbags]

Nevermore will I be satisfied with yesterday's accomplishments nor will I indulge, anymore, in self-praise for deeds which in reality are too small to even acknowledge.

[Round and Brown]

Nevermore will I be satisfied with yesterday's accomplishments nor will I indulge, anymore, in self-praise for deeds which in reality are too small to even acknowledge.

[oil paintings]

Interesting writing! Are there any predictions that you maybe willing to divulge in order to illustrate your second section a bit more? cheers