NBA: Kobe Bryant, Lakers can't catch Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder

In a reversal of roles, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers know they are the ones trying to track down Kevin Durant's Oklahoma City Thunder.

They have some work to do.

Durant had 36 points, Russell Westbrook scored 27 of his 33 in the first half to stake Oklahoma City to a commanding lead, and the Thunder beat the short-handed Lakers 114-108 Friday night.

Bryant had 35 points for Los Angeles, which trailed by as many as 19 before rallying to get within four in the final minute.

Dwight Howard added 23 points and 18 rebounds for the Lakers, who were eliminated by the Thunder in five games in last season's Western Conference semifinals.

Howard and Steve Nash were part of an offseason overhaul to try to catch up to the Thunder. Instead, the Lakers are 9-11 and focusing on small gains that give them the belief they will turn it around.

"It's 82 games. This team has just gotten together," Howard said. "It's not like we're going to get together and start winning right away. ... We're learning how to play together. We're getting better. This is not on anybody's time table but ours."

Westbrook was in attack mode from the start with Los Angeles missing top point guards Nash (left leg) and Steve Blake (abdominal surgery), plus All-Star forward Pau Gasol for the third straight game with tendinitis in both knees.

Westbrook buried 3-pointers on two of Oklahoma City's first three possessions on his way to making

a career-best five from behind the arc -- all in the first half.

The game grew tense when Metta World Peace -- already a public enemy in Oklahoma City after he clocked James Harden last season -- and Serge Ibaka each got a technical foul for a confrontation in the closing minutes.

Timberwolves 91, Cavaliers 73: Kevin Love's shooting stroke returned in a 36-point, 13-rebound performance for Minnesota.

Love missed most of the first month of the season with a broken right hand, and he has been struggling to regain his shooting touch since returning nine games ago. He made 10 of 19 shots and 14 of 18 free throws against Cleveland, and he is cautiously optimistic that it is all coming back to him.

"Hopefully it's not fool's gold," Love said. "It's a step in the right direction. I've been putting in work, but it's just one game."

Grizzlies 96, Hornets 89: Rudy Gay tied a season high with 28 points, and Memphis maintained its NBA-best winning percentage (.824).

Hornets forward Anthony Davis, the NBA's top overall draft choice, missed his 10th straight game. New Orleans is 2-8 during that stretch.

Spurs 114, Rockets 92: San Antonio never trailed as six players scored in double figures, led by Tony Parker's 17 points.

Tiago Splitter scored 15 points and Gary Neal, Manu Ginobili, Patty Mills and Tim Duncan each added 12. Duncan also had a game-high 12 rebounds.

Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/other-sports/ci_22151868/nba?source=rss_viewed

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