Clarkson Calm as Thunder Storms Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers fought hard but ultimately fell short of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night

The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday evening, and that hardly came as a surprise. On this occasion, the team failed to protect the paint and attempted to foolishly outscore the Thunder in Oklahoma City. Predictably, the Lakers lost 127-117.

However, far more meaningful than the result was the continued development of rookie point guard Jordan Clarkson, who finished as the leading scorer in the game with 30 points.

Thirty points would be a new career-high for Clarkson, and the rookie point guard also added seven assists and four rebounds to the stat sheet. On this night, the 22-year-old played with maturity and control in a game that featured Clarkson attempting a game-high 19 shots and converting 12 of them.

With regards to the competition level of the game, the Lakers fell behind by double-digits early and never quite got back into the game. However, credit to interim head coach Paul Pressey for keeping his guys engaged and fighting. The team fought back from 20 points down early in the fourth quarter to finish the game down by 10 points at the final buzzer.

Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, who was Long Beach born and UCLA bred, only played three quarters and still managed 27 points and 11 assists. Overall, Westbrook still looked like the premier athlete on the court. That being said, Clarkson managed a few highlight plays of his own and did more than enough to earn praise after the game.

Jeremy Lin, Clarkson's new starting backcourt partner, finished with 19 points and seven assists in 30 minutes. In particular, Lin played a strong first half and attacked with regularity. The new backcourt duo appeared to be clicking early, and this combination of Clarkson and Lin should continue for at least a handful of games.

Along with Lin back in the starting lineup, Ryan Kelly also joined the starting five. Finally, Kelly earned time at power forward, which is his natural position. Offensively, he found a rhythm and hit five of nine shots for 16 points. However, since neither team appeared interested in playing defense, Kelly will need to prove himself against the stronger power forwards in the NBA in order to survive at the position.

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Continuing the lineup theme, Robert Sacre also earned playing time after being looked over for seven consecutive games. Sacre's inclusion meant Jordan Hill and Carlos Boozer did not enter the game despite being available.

The Lakers cannot dwell over the loss long, as the team travels to Minneapolis late Tuesday night and faces the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday at 5 p.m. Pacific Time.

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