In a rather ugly opening round playoff game, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 87-79.

It was a game in which the superstar MVP candidates didn’t shine very brightly.  Kobe Bryant, after resting in a few of the final regular season games, scored a very inefficient 21 points.  He shot 6-19 from the field and missed five free throws in 41 minutes of action.  The league’s leading scorer Kevin Durant was only 7-24 for 24 points.  Ron Artest was physical with Durant, and throughout the course of the game it took its toll on the 21-year-old. 

Both teams were nowhere near their best offensively, which is not uncommon in the playoffs.  Effort and defensive intensity were elevated, making the execution a little ragged at times. 

Kevin Durant was unable to find the touch in OKC's playoff debut.

The Lakers were able to separate themselves early, jumping out to a 27-13 advantage after the first quarter.  As projected, L.A.’s interior play was too overpowering for the young Thunder – Andrew Bynum (13 pts, 12 rebs, 4 blks) and Pau Gasol (19 pts, 13 rebs, 3 blks) both had double-doubles in the contest.

One bright spot for OKC was point guard Russell Westbrook.  Westbrook’s explosiveness was a lot for the Lakers point guards to handle, as he bullied his way to 23 points on very efficient shooting (10-16).  Westbrook also dished out 8 assists and coughed the ball up only once, which rounded out a very promising performance for a 2-year veteran making his postseason debut.  His controlled aggression would have been the perfect complement to a standout game from Durant, but KD couldn’t find a comfortable rhythm in this one.

Game 2 of the series is on Tuesday in L.A. and we can expect more of the same from the Lakers.  They’ll continue to pound it inside to keep Oklahoma City at the mercy of their big men.  Meanwhile, the Thunder will have to use Westbrook’s quickness to get some late transition, early offense scores.