The Return of Swag in Laker land!

" Lou Williams, over to Ingram... with 8 to play. Nick Young, FOR THE LEAD!! GOOD!! HE SCORED!!! THE LAKERS Lead by 2... Nick Young drains it!!!! " This is how the announcer ended the Game last night vs The Thunder, 109-111 with 5 seconds remaining on the shot clock.

Nick Young is looking like the player the Lakers need and needed all this time to close games. He is playing very efficiently as of late. The game started very equal on both sides, with the Lakers feeling not so hot on the offensive end. They started turning the ball over and allowing the Thunder going on an 10-6 lead early in the first quarter. Up until J.Calderon hit a wide open three to bring the lead down to 1. 

In the 6th minute, the Lakers go on the fast break with Randle bringing the ball down the court and passing it to Mozgov for the Thunderous throwdown to give the Lakers the lead. Just less than a minute later Nick Young just drains a long distance three from deep down town. This actually might have been an indication to what was about to follow later that night, the Lakers take a three point lead in the middle half of the first quarter. Nick stayed hot as the game went down, He kept draining three after three, giving the Lakers the lead. With 33 seconds to go in the 1st quarter, Lou william gets a 4 point play to give the Lakers a 12 point lead early in the game. 

Nick Young kept pushing and scoring every minute he was on the floor, he took advantage of all the time he was on the floor and that's what the Lakers need this season from him and all the 12 Laker players, to use their time on the court efficiently to achieve the unachievable which is finish the season with a positive above .500 record and even make the postseason. 

However Russell was Russell all night long going 100 miles an hour on offense and not taking a break. He kept the Thunder in the game cutting the lead down in the 2nd quarter to 4. The Thunder at significant portions of the game showed they can move the ball and find the open shot, they showed that its not just about Westbrook.Victor Oladipo showed that he can play by finishing the game with 14 PTs, 4 Rebounds and 4 Assists. The Thunder showed signs of life towards the end of the 2nd quarter, they kept chipping the lead away with 6.03 seconds left in the quarter with Russell scoring a basketball on the drive and the foul to give the Thunder a 2 PTs lead going into the half.  HOWEVER the Lakers led by Nick Young didn't stay silent, as the shot clock was winding down, he brought the ball down the other half to pull up for the three half time DAGGER and retake the Lead for these Lakers to finish the 1st half in the exact same fashion the whole game ended. 

The second half started and the Lakers showing they still haven't got themselves together, they kept turning the ball over which led to Westbrook going on the break and hammering the ball down with anger as he usual does to tie the game at 53 a piece. Neither teams could run away with the game as both teams showed signs of lack of defence, the Lakers left the middle open especially to Steven Adams who finished with 20 PTs on 69% shooting from the field, same goes for the other side as the Thunder left their rim unprotected especially with the absence of their rim protector Ibaka to allow Mozgov to score 16 PTs on 60% shooting. These are crazy numbers to imagine especially to players who get the ball almost under the basket or just to drive from 12FT away from the basket. Most of the third was just both teams taking jabs at each other with no team taking the upper hand. Both teams showed lack of defensive effort and emphasis on running the ball which might hurt them come playoff time or as the season progresses. 

The 4th quarter saw the Lakers on top with a 10 PTs lead and maintaining it and even adding to it at one point to take a 13 points lead at the 8:43 minute mark with Ingram hitting a three to make the lead the more unreachable. On the 6:46 minute mark, Russell Westbrook had the ball in the lane to score and ended up giving it to Adams who turns it over and allowing Larry Nance Jr with Ingram to go for the 2 on 1 fast break to end up finishing it with the huge slam to energize the fans for the 95th basket. The remaining of the fourth saw the Thunder playing catch up with the Lakers, led by Westbrook who finished with 34 PTs. As the game was winding down to the final minutes, the Lakers showed signs that were about to throw this game away as the Thunder dominated the fourth quarter to outscore the Lakers 35 to 31. 

Westbrook put on a show in the fourth, he kept the Thunder alive by scoring three after three and just showing why Michael Jordan said " He reminds me of myself", he showed the will of a winner and a skill of clutch player in the last 2 minutes of the game. With 13 seconds left on the 4th, Westbrook missed a mid range shot, Steven Adam grabs the board for the putback and gives the Thunder the lead, everyone even Me saw this game slipping away from the Lakers but only man didn't. The final play started with the ball being out of bounce after a timeout was called by Luke Walton. The Lakers inbound the ball, the players seem to try to find the open man but no one seemed open as time is winding down. Ingram gets trapped, he passed it to Lou to go for the Buzzer beater right outside the three point line. Here comes Nick Young who snatches the pass midair and just stops, Pulls up for the long three with Victor in his face trying to contest the shot meanwhile the announcer is going insane " Nick Young for the LEAD! HEE SCORED!! THE LAKERS LEAD BY TWO!! Nick YOUNG... DRAINS IT!!" The Fans in Staples go ballistic so do the players, they just can't believe what has just happened. NICK YOUNG Has ICE IN HIS VEINS!!!! he is an assassin!!! He just killed the Thunder to a 109-111 final game score. 

The game was amazing for a team which lost the 2nd best player in the world in a trade to the Warriors and the Lakers who have been struggling in the past 3 years to establish a rhythm and losing Kobe Bryant one of the best players to ever lace them. It's a very interesting development these Lakers are having who were expected to have a decent season but not like this so Far! 

What's the limit!? Only time will tell!!