Steve Blake, Metta World Peace Among Key Supporting Lakers In Game 3 WIn Over Thunder

Kobe Bryant was the celebrated hero for scoring 36 points, but it’s hard to ignore just how spread the rest of the scoring was for the Los Angeles Lakers at a key point when the team needed the supporting cast to step up. Against a team like the Oklahoma City Thunder who can beat you in so many ways, it was important for the Lakers to do the same.

Enter Steve Blake, Metta World Peace and several other players who played their best game of the series. The writers over at Welcome To Loud City saw it the same way:

You’ve also gotta credit the Laker supporting cast with stepping up tonight. Steve Blake was nearly perfect offensively after blowing a huge shot in Game 2, and wasn’t too much of a defensive liability. Metta World Peace hit some key free throws. Ramon Sessions pretty much fueled the Lakers in the first, cutting through the Thunder defense like cheese. Lastly, Jordan Hill had a couple of really epic blocks at the rim.

In such a close game, the importance of every play and every player is heightened and the Lakers certainly stepped up. While the officiating was awful, both teams must do what they can to win and the Lakers certainly did that.

For more on the Oklahoma City Thunder, head over to Welcome to Loud City and join the discussion.

VIDEO: Thunder-Lakers Highlights From Game Three

Last night, the Oklahoma City Thunder had a chance to place the Los Angeles Lakers on the ropes when up by five after Russell Westbrook hammered home a dunk after a late steal in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately the refs wouldn't stop blowing their whistles to favor the Lakers and Kobe Bryant took care of business from the stripe. If you want to know how things went down in game three last night between the two teams, here's the NBA video highlights below.

For more on the Oklahoma City Thunder, head over to Welcome to Loud City and join the discussion.

2012 NBA Playoffs: Lakers Vs. Thunder Game 4: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder won't have to wait long to get a second chance in Los Angeles. Game 4 of the Lakers and Thunder is scheduled for Saturday night, just one day after Los Angeles' 99-96 Game 3 victory, which cut Oklahoma City's series lead down to 2-1.

If the Thunder are to take a commanding 3-1 series victory back to Oklahoma with them, they'll need to do a better job of shutting down all-world superstar Kobe Bryant. Bryant scored 36 points and grabbed seven rebounds while dishing out six assists in Los Angeles' win on Friday night.

Oklahoma City, despite the loss on Friday, still remains in good position. At worst, they'll head back home with the series tied at two games a piece. The Thunder still stand a good chance of winning on Saturday, though, and will have to hope that the Lakers aren't as good as hitting free throws on Saturday as they were on Friday, when Los Angeles connected on 41-of-42 free throws.

Tip-off is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CT, 7:30 p.m. locally in Los Angeles. Televised coverage can be found on TNT.

For more on the Oklahoma City Thunder, head over to Welcome to Loud City and join the discussion.

Thunder Vs. Lakers: Los Angeles Edges Oklahoma City, Wins 99-96

Oklahoma City's dream of a perfect post-season is now over. The Thunder fell to the Lakers 99-96 on Friday night, dropping Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals, and losing their first game of the 2012 post-season in the process.

The Thunder did not have an answer for superstar Kobe Bryant, who scored 31 points and grabbed seven rebounds while dishing out six assists. Kevin Durant did do all that he could, scoring 31 points while grabbing five rebounds. Durant also added one assist.

If the Thunder are to clinch the series at home, without needing a Game 7, they'll need to defeat the Lakers in Game 4, and take a commanding 3-1 series lead.

Game 4 of the Oklahoma City/Los Angeles series will be held on Saturday, as part of a doubleheader at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Tip-off is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CT, 7:30 p.m. locally in Los Angeles.

For more on the Oklahoma City Thunder, be sure to head over to Welcome to Loud City and join the discussion.

Thunder Vs. Lakers Halftime Score: OKC Trails Los Angeles 50-47

The Los Angeles Lakers looked like they were going to blow open this game early on when they had a 16-4 lead and led 23-15 after the first quarter. The Thunder made a comeback to make this game and had their first lead of the game when Kevin Durant hit a three-point shot with 6:13 left in the half.

Lakers-Thunder Outcome Could Depend On Tempo For Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant

One great NBA scorer is going to want a slower game with a chance to set up his halfcourt offense. The other is going to want to run with the pack and keep things moving quickly. Either Kobe Bryant or Kevin Durant is going to get his way and the winner of game three between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers could depend on tempo. That's what Royce Young of the Daily Thunder believes.

He writes, "Tempo. The Thunder want to run, the Lakers do not. Pretty simple, pretty straightforward. Game 1 was played in stark contrast to Game 2, and the Lakers got the game slowed to how they want it. Grind out halfcourt possessions, with fewer touches for the Thunder, which means less shots for Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. The Thunder don't necessarily need transition points, but a more frantic pace certainly is preferable."

When the Thunder kept things moving, game one turned into a joke for the Lakers. In game two, things were the opposite and they had a chance to win in the end. Despite the final outcomes, the two games were very different and the series could easily be 1-1 at this point.

Expect the Lakers to do everything they can to stall the flow. At this point, they have to find something that works so they're not against the ropes after only three games.

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Lakers Vs. Thunder: Game Time, TV Schedule, Tip-Off Info

The Los Angeles Lakers hope to avoid their fate of the first two games against the Oklahoma City Thunder and hand Kevin Durant and company their first loss of the 2012 NBA playoffs tonight as game three gets underway in LA. That's a tall order for a team on the ropes, but the home venue has now changed and a team that's looked tired and outmatched hopes to bounce back. For Scott Brooks' team, it's about learning to capitalize on the momentum.

For those looking to watch game three of the Lakers-Thunder, here's the info you'll need.

Date / Time: Friday, May 18, 9:30 p.m. CT

Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

TV: ESPN

Radio: Thunder Radio Network

Streaming: ESPN3

For more on the Oklahoma City Thunder, check out Welcome To Loud City. L.A. Lakers news and info can be found at Silver Screen And Roll, and all your NBA news and info is available at SB Nation's NBA page.

Kendrick Perkins Injury Update: Oklahoma City Thunder Center Says He Is 'Not Even Close To 80 Percent'

If what Kendrick Perkins says is true, the Los Angeles Lakers are all the more doomed against the younger, faster and more athletic Oklahoma City Thunder.

Perkins, an enforcer for the Thunder and one of the key players least associated with his athleticism, says he's not even 80 percent in this series against the Lakers, yet Oklahoma City still holds a 2-0 series lead having won those two games in totally different fashions.

Kendrick Perkins says he's not even close to 80 percent, but he's going to continue to "do what I can to give up my body for the team."

— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) May 18, 2012

With Perkins hobbled, one would think the Lakers would at least be able to exploit this weakness in the Thunder, but other mismatches have proved to be too much for them to handle so far.

For more on the Oklahoma City Thunder, check out Welcome To Loud City. L.A. Lakers news and info can be found at Silver Screen And Roll, and all your NBA news and info is available at SB Nation's NBA page.

Lakers Vs. Thunder: Steve Blake 'Upset' About Threats Made Against Family

Fans are understandably upset when their favorite team loses and oftentimes the player who performed the worst receives the lion’s share of the backlash. In Steve Blake’s case, missing the final three pointer against the Oklahoma City Thunder has brought more than just disappointment from Los Angeles Lakers fans. Instead, he’s dealing with threats against both himself and his family.

The Lakers point guard missed a last second shot that would have given the Lakers game two of the second round series in the 2012 NBA playoffs. Instead, LA is now down two games to none in a best of seven series.

“It’s pretty disappointing that there’s a lot of hateful people out there,” Blake told the Times after the Lakers’ practice Thursday at the team’s facility in El Segundo. “You move on. I just don’t appreciate it when it’s toward my family. You can come at me all you want. But when you say things about my wife and my kids, it makes me upset.”

Blake and the rest of the Lakers will have a chance to gain some measure of on-court revenge against the Thunder when they play game three tonight.

For more on the Oklahoma City Thunder, check out Welcome To Loud City. L.A. Lakers news and info can be found at Silver Screen And Roll, and all your NBA news and info is available at SB Nation's NBA page.

2012 NBA Playoffs, Thunder Vs. Lakers: Game 3 Preview, TV Info And More

The Thunder look to stay perfect in the 2012 NBA Playoffs when they hit star-studded Los Angeles, in hopes of taking a commanding 3-0 series lead on the Lakers.