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Because, you know, a 29-point drubbing by definition means you can never tweak too many things. Yesterday, Brian offered several areas in need of drastic improvement. I thought I'd add my two cents with four more suggestions. (Sadly, we likely still didn't cover everything. But hey, we only had 48 hours between Games 1 and 2, and both needed to sleep a bit.)

1) Get the ball up the court faster to initiate the offense earlier
During the era of "Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom bringing the ball up so Kobe doesn't have to do everything," a turtle with a decent handle might have taken the place of either without anybody noticing. Whether because the directive to slow tempo was taken too literally, or because Fisher's declining speed and LO's generally laid back style, it felt like the court was covered in molasses. Eight second violations were regularly flirted with, and precious time was frittered away over the entire 24 seconds. As a result, someone was often forced to take a bad shot.

Mike Brown arrived in L.A. with the stated goal of getting into sets faster, and with Ramon Sessions eventually in the fold, that objective should have become even easier. However, slow migration end-to-end remains a habit, particularly Monday in Game 1, and it's a habit in need of immediate breaking. I'm not calling for a radically pushed tempo. The Lakers don't have the personnel to live in transition, and getting into a foot race with the Thunder is a losing proposition. This is simply a matter of milking possessions for their maximum opportunities. Any early deep position gained by Andrew Bynum or Pau Gasol gets negated if they're watching the ball handler meander upcourt for 3 seconds while a defender pushes them off a spot. The Thunder's defense is being far too much time to set in general. And should any of Game 1's offensive confusion bleed into Wednesday's proceedings, an extra four or five seconds to sort through the mess could go a long way towards salvaging possessions.

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Lots of talk about the debacle in Game 1 (has "The World Naked Gardening Day Pruning" caught on, yet? I didn't think so.), and looking ahead to tonight's Game 2.

And while there is still a lot of hoops left to play against OKC, more than a few fans are looking forward to the offseason. We take a look at what might be coming, as well.

Here's the link to the transcript.

It's fitting NBA games are now flooded with "Men in Black III" ads (there's even one with an NBA tie-in), because after Game 1, Lakers fans had the urge to "flashy thing" themselves. Who'd blame any member of the Laker Nation for making every last memory of a 29-point beatdown instantly disappear? That's not a bad plan for the actual players, too. Dwelling on what can't be changed is pointless and could perhaps hinder moving forward. Of course, this is also contingent on having addressed the problems causing their nightmare. Otherwise, the "flashy thing" would just be creating space in their brains for a brand-new set of horrors.

To help preview Game 2, Brian and I conducted an IM chat with Royce Young from the True Hoop network's Daily Thunder blog. Below is the transcript.

Andy Kamenetzky: I'll start with a question for Royce. Wha happa?

Royce Young: Yeah, that was something. I expected the Thunder to win, but definitely not a 29-point victory. The Thunder weren't rusty, and were foaming at the mouth to get on the court. OKC is good and has maybe the NBA's most explosive offense, but if they're going to turn it over just four times, the Lakers might as well hit the beach right now and save themselves the trouble.

Brian Kamenetzky: How sustainable is OKC's performance? The starters shot 63 percent. As a team they hit 60 percent between 10-15 feet. Russell Westbrook barely missed from 10 feet-plus, etc. Even if the Lakers don't do anything differently -- and they'd better do some things differently -- do you expect the Thunder to come back to earth?

RY: That's definitely about as good as it gets, although not completely out of left field. The Thunder have rolled up big offensive games before: Game 3 against Dallas, in the regular season against Miami and Chicago. But the mid-range game can dry up at a moment's notice, 3s might not fall and transition opportunities might not be available. Then it's about executing in the half court, getting to the line and finding easy buckets. They're capable of doing that every night, actually doing so isn't entirely realistic.

Is there an adjustment the Lakers can make to slow down Westbrook and Kevin Durant?

AK: Metta World Peace must do better staying with KD despite the constant screens. MWP's bulk can work against him fighting through bodies, but he's succeeded better than on Monday. Considering that his were the freshest legs of any Laker, I was disappointed by his general lack of defensive tenacity. As for Westbrook, when he's running pick-and-roll to that elbow spot, the Lakers bigs need to hedge harder to challenge shots or make him give up the ball. I realize the recovery after showing is tough for someone like Andrew Bynum, but Russ' looks were too clean, and he pulls up so quickly to begin with.

RY: Here's the dirty little secret with Westbrook: Everyone thinks you give him that mid-range shot and take away his path to the rim, but it's actually the opposite. Give him the jumper, he'll eat you alive. That's the hinge to his game. It opens the door to everything else. Actually, in hindsight, let's scratch my previous paragraph from the record. I don't want anyone to know this.

BK: If Mike Brown waits for game previews to get his scouting report for that night, I think you're OK.

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On May 27, 1985, the Celtics destroyed the Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, 148-114, a game quickly declared the "Memorial Day Massacre."

The Lakers, of course, went on to win the series in six games, finally vanquishing the Celtics curse.

Monday, the Lakers went to Oklahoma City and were similarly dominated, finding themselves down 30 points to the Thunder by the end of the third quarter. It was ugly on every level, and equally deserving of a nickname. Unfortunately, May 14 is a little short on signpost holidays or commemorations. The best I could come up with is "The World Naked Gardening Day Pruning."

Not bad, actually, and (with some imagination) maybe even a little apropos, but nonetheless unlikely to catch on.

More bad news: About the only commonalities in those games were the lopsided nature of the defeats. That 1984-85 Lakers team was dominant, winners of 62 games and favored to beat Boston for a title. This Lakers team is good, but not as good as their opponent. OKC outplayed them in about 10 of 12 quarters during the season series, and was superior in just about every measurable when considering the year as a whole.

Via Twitter and such, I've seen it suggested the law of averages will likely change how things play out in Game 2 on Wednesday night. Probably true. OKC was certainly above the mean in more ways than one. No team was more turnover prone than the Thunder in the regular season, but on Monday they gave up the rock only four times. Their starting lineup went 26-of-41 (63 percent), a tough number to reproduce even if L.A.'s defense doesn't improve much, and from 10-15 feet, OKC was a white-hot 60 percent (9-of-15). Put in perspective, Miami led the NBA from that distance this season, at 42.7 percent. The Thunder's offensive efficiency was straight out of NBA Live, at 133, versus 107.1 pre-playoffs. There are probably a few other areas in which the Thunder might naturally regress. Unfortunately for the Lakers, even if OKC suffers some slippage, it has a 30-point gap to chew up in Wednesday's Game 2.

That's more than a few more turnovers and missed jumpers.

Among the items on an extensive laundry list of needed improvements:

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Looking for something a little lighter after Monday's loss? We got you covered.

One of our favorite writers working today is A.J. Jacobs, author of a very entertaining trilogy centering around his quest for self-improvement. It starts with "The Know-It-All," in which Jacobs endeavors to improve his mind by reading the Encyclopedia Britannica from A to Z, then "The Year of Living Biblically," in which he explores spirituality by attempting to obey the bible as literally as possible (from avoiding clothes of mixed fibers to stoning adulterers), and now his newest, "Drop Dead Healthy."





The third volume details Jacobs' efforts to make himself the healthiest man on the planet. No easy task, given all the conflicting information about what is actually good for us. (For what it's worth, "The Know-It-All" is my favorite of the three.)

He's also an editor-at-large at Esquire Magazine, producing some of our favorite stuff in that particular mag, including this story about outsourcing his life, and living as a spectacularly good looking woman. Jacobs joined us in studio for a fun conversation about his new book, his style (called "immersion journalism" by some, "stunt journalism" by others) of writing, the future of print, and more. If you're a fan of his work, you'll enjoy the interview.

For those less familiar with Jacobs, it's probably worth checking out a couple of his features for Esquire to get a feel for what he does.

We've been holding on to this one for a couple weeks (some of you may have already seen it on the rail at right), hoping the Lakers might give us a window to get it a nice airing. They haven't really cooperated, so we'll wait no longer. Give it a listen.

Well, on the plus side, it's almost impossible for there to be any direction to go from here but up, right? And truth be told, a blowout result isn't altogether shocking. The Lakers just wrapped a grueling 7-game series allowing zero time for prep, while the Thunder are well-rested, likely well-versed in Lakers film and... well... better. Remove the purple and gold glasses and this ending wasn't hard to see coming. That said, the Lakers need to tighten up a plethora of items for any chance of heading back to L.A. with a split.

Among the talking points:

- The Lakers looked seriously disorganized -- not to mention tired -- on both sides of the ball. The effort was evident, but the execution ranged from erratic to non-existent. The inability to practice and prepare did them no favors.

- The Thunder's Big 3 (Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden) picked the Lakers apart. The defensive schemes against that formidable trio are in need of serious tweaking.

- Ramon Sessions had a horrible game (two points, three assists, very little defensive presence), and his playoff impact has been, generally speaking, underwhelming. For the Lakers to have any shot at pulling the upset in this series, their point guard needs to pick up his production. And like Sessions, the bench was M.I.A.

- The brightest spot was definitely Andrew Bynum, who notched a double-double and was easily the most effective Laker on the court. Like his teammates, Bynum suffered some defensive lapses, but that was more a byproduct of the overall chaos than anything else. If the Thunder continue to play him as often in single coverage (as opposed to Denver's approach, where Drew was often doubled before the catch), he could do some damage.

- The Lakers need to figure out ways to get Kobe Bryant better shots. Against defenders like Thabo Sefolosha and Harden, iso-heavy looks won't cut it.

- Why on earth did Mike Brown play his starters so late into this game, given their workload over the last week, the series schedule against Oklahoma City, and the unnecessary risk of injury? There was absolutely no prayer of a comeback, so any chance to recharge the batteries should have been taken.

- Devin Ebanks' strange ejection.

It's only Game 1. There is a lot of basketball left to play.

That is not meant as a threat.

The Oklahoma City Thunder entered their Western Conference semifinal against the Los Angeles Lakers as overwhelming favorites, and Monday at Chesapeake Energy Center, absolutely nothing happened that might alter the conventional wisdom. After a quick start for the Lakers, the Thunder dominated (I'm avoiding any Thunder/roll combos at this point) in every facet of the game save turnovers committed and "absorbing monumental tail kickings," not exactly the most aspirational categories in a box score.

Here are six takeaways ...

1. The Lakers looked like a team without time to fully prepare

The Lakers are not as good as Oklahoma City and therefore needed every available edge in order to compete effectively. They needed to be on the same page in every aspect of the game. This opportunity went out the door when the Lakers botched Game 5 against Denver last week. Now, having played every other day since, with flights in between, not only did the Lakers tax their legs, they short-circuited prep time. Both were in play on Monday night as the Lakers lost big on the execution end of things.

Defensively, the Lakers were inconsistent in their pick-and-roll coverages. Sometimes they pressured the ball, other times they didn't. They tried to back off shooters including Kevin Durant (25/8/4), who had too many midrange J's without a hand in the face. Russell Westbrook (27/9) also was conceded a ton of elbow J's off the high screen, a reasonable strategy until he starts canning them and establishes a rhythm. Then something had to change, but it didn't. The big men, generally speaking, tried to contest, helpers generally tried to help. Unfortunately, the Lakers were so scattered and disorganized and OKC was so hot, it didn't really matter. No wonder Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol were on the bench well after the game, still talking through coverages.

That the Lakers were actually working hard (though not at all efficiently) on their end probably isn't all that comforting. At least against Denver they could play the "if we try" card after Games 5 and 6. Other discouraging signs: The Lakers used Kobe on Westbrook a ton on Monday, and it didn't work.

Offensively, the Lakers weren't any better. The ball movement wasn't good, and they didn't generate a ton away from the ball, either. At times, the Lakers effectively used Bynum on the block, helping him to 20 points on 7-of-12 from the floor. He and Gasol were both aggressive on the offensive glass. But as the game went along and the deficit grew, the Lakers naturally started gravitating away from the post. That's not something that will serve them well going forward.

More than anything, though, the Lakers didn't seem like they had a cogent plan to score in Game 1. Credit some solid defense from the Thunder, who locked down the Lakers in their three regular-season meetings, and tentative play from the Lakers. One big factor there.

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The series between the Lakers and Thunder features not only two of the NBA's great scorers, but also some of the league's better defenders countering them. The Lakers have Metta World Peace for Kevin Durant, while the Thunder offer Thabo Sefolosha on Kobe Bryant, supported by James Harden and at times, Durant.

Both defensive stoppers have been effective, as ESPN Stats and Information illustrates, starting with MWP on Durantula:

"With World Peace on the court, Durant scored just 22.9 points per 40 minutes, down 6.2 points from his season average of 29.1. Durant connected on 17 of 40 shots (42.5 percent) in the 77 minutes he was on the floor with World Peace, also well below his season average of 49.6 percent. And while Durant makes a living at the line (7.9 FTA per 40 minutes), he averaged getting there just 2.6 times."

The drop in free throw attempts is particularly significant. One intriguing aspect of the series pits OKC's league leading ability to get to the stripe (.269 FT's per FGA) against L.A.'s ability to keep teams off it (.158 FT's per FGA against, also tops in the NBA). The team doing more to preserve regular season trends will have a major leg up, and obviously limiting Durant's opportunities goes a long way towards limiting the Thunder as a team.

Stats and Info also breaks down the Thunder's effectiveness this year against Kobe:

"Bryant struggled mightily with his shot against the Thunder in three games this season – 24.3 points per game on 30.7 percent from the field (23-75) – down from his season averages of 27.9 points and 43.0 percent.

But Bryant particularly struggled against Sefolosha, going just 9-33 (27.2 percent) from the field this season when Sefolosha was the primary on the ball defender against him (Sefolosha played in two of three games against the Lakers this season). Since Sefolosha’s first full season with the Thunder back in 2009-10, Bryant has shot just 39.6 percent (72-182) from the field in the 360 minutes he’s been on the floor with Sefolosha (six postseason games in 2010 included)."

OKC's ability to supplement Sefolosha's defense with Harden's gives Thunder coach Scott Brooks a lot of flexibility. He can pull Sefolosha -- a more limited offensive player -- without fearing Bryant will automatically dominate in his absence or require heavy double-teaming. The Lakers will need to show some creativity in how they get the ball into Kobe's hands, using more screening action allowing him to catch on the move in multiple locations, rather than isolated on the wing.

Good post play will also help, drawing eyes and attention away from Bryant, affording him more freedom.

One more thing could impact Kobe's offensive output: How often he's matched up at the other end against OKC's All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook.

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With sincere respect to the Denver Nuggets, that it took the Lakers seven games to defeat them suggests how well the Lakers must play against Oklahoma City to have even a hope of advancing. Kevin Durant and the gang were the preseason favorites to come out of the West, with some pundits predicting they'd win the whole enchilada. An erratic April cost them a No. 1 seed, but any doubts about their viability were put to bed by an opening-round sweep of the Dallas Mavericks. Matched against L.A., at full strength, the results have been pretty lopsided in OKC's favor. The Lakers enter this series in the unfamiliar position of being underdogs and have their work cut out to pull the upset.

For a look ahead to the series and Game 1, I spoke via instant message with Royce Young of the True Hoop network's Daily Thunder blog. Below is the transcript.

Andy Kamenetzky: What was your biggest takeaway from OKC's opening series?

Royce Young: I was most impressed with the way the Thunder closed games. Last postseason, Oklahoma City's crunch-time offensive struggles became a well-discussed topic, with Russell Westbrook the focus. This playoffs, it was the opposite. Three big fourth quarters are what won the series in four. Of course, just because James Harden was able to dice the Mavericks doesn't mean it will be so with the Lakers.

AK: As long as you mentioned Harden, might as well jump right into the prominent B-plot. Do you expect any lingering trepidation or animosity from Harden toward Metta World Peace?

RY: I don't think so. Carrying anything like that onto the floor would be too obvious. And it wouldn't reflect well on the team's focus. You're not there to get payback on Metta. You're here to advance. A vendetta in Game 1 doesn't make much sense. Then again, it'll have Thunder fans charged up, and many people feel as if World Peace is feeding the beast with his comments.

AK: Well, I was there as MWP addressed this issue, and actually took his words at face value. Starters never go out of their way for pregame handshakes with opposing reserves, so why would anyone necessarily expect it from Metta? And I honestly understand why he doesn't think now's the time and place for a reconciliation of sorts (if there's even a feud to begin with). These guys are about to enter competition. Frankly, I doubt Harden wants MWP to seek him out before Game 1 anyway. It would be awkward for both.

RY: For the record, I totally agree with that assessment.

AK: In any event, Harden is so important for OKC. You can make an argument he's their most important player, which is why I don't put much credence in the Lakers' double-OT win, Harden missing the second half and all.

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The prospect of facing the Oklahoma City Thunder in the postseason has for most of the season conjured incredibly pessimistic images for Lakers fans. As the regular season wound down you could practically hear Adrian's pre-Drago speech to Rocky ringing throughout the city as most prayed the Lakers would leap through whatever logistical hoops required to avoid the Thunder until the Western Conference finals. But steadily the Lakers built momentum, solving some of their road woes and finding some actual support in the supporting cast.

Two games into their first-round matchup against Denver, things looked even better. Four games after that, they seemed much, much worse. Saturday, a strong performance pushed the Lakers through Game 7, finally earning a date with those very Thunder, starting Monday night in Oklahoma City. Nobody, save those viewing the world entirely through purple-and-gold-colored glasses, will make them a favorite -- nor should they. But despite the inconsistent effort vs. Denver, it's not out of the question the Lakers, through strong post play, attention to detail defensively, the intensity shown eliminating the Nuggets, and perhaps a healthy dose of ultra-rustic Siberian training can give OKC a genuine test.

Maybe even pull the upset?

The series features serious star power, with each team trotting out a high-end big three. Oklahoma City's combo of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden brings, among other things, scoring punch and athleticism, while the Lakers counter with the length, experience and skill of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Lovers of subplots and intrigue will have a field day, too, starting with the NBA's two leading scorers facing off in a battle of old vs. new guard. Metta World Peace and Harden will share the floor for the first time since this happened. Bynum and Gasol each have narratives to repair.

And, of course, the Lakers face a motivated Derek Fisher in a playoff series. The citizenry fears getting .4'd.

With all that in mind, here's a first look at the matchup ...

SEASON SERIES -- Oklahoma City 2-1

1. Thunder 100, Lakers 85 (Feb. 23, Chesapeake Energy Arena): The Lakers finished the first quarter up 23-19, but were outscored by 19 the rest of the way. Bryant finished 7-of-24 from the field, while Durant popped for 33.
2. Thunder 102, Lakers 93 (March 29, Staples Center): Again, L.A. got up early but was thoroughly outclassed after the first quarter. Durant and Harden were relatively quiet, but Westbrook went off for 36. Again, Kobe struggled (7-of-25).
3. Lakers 114, Thunder 106, 2 OT (April 22, Staples Center): The Lakers limited OKC to 14 fourth-quarter points, erasing an 18-point deficit and pushing the game to OT. Kobe again struggled overall (9-of-26), but hit huge shots late and ate up Westbrook (3-of-22) defensively. Big games for Gasol and the Lakers' bench.

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LOS ANGELES -- Close-out games in a playoff series have a way of turning paupers into princes overnight.

There was the 37-year-old Steve Kerr, playing in his 15th and final season for the San Antonio Spurs when he came off the bench to hit all of his shots in Game 6 of the 2003 Western Conference finals against the Dallas Mavericks, going 4-for-4 on 3-pointers and scoring 12 points, which happened to be the Spurs' margin of victory, 90-78, that night. He didn't even play in Game 5.

There was the 21-year-old Cleveland rookie Daniel Gibson pouring in 31 points, going 7-for-9 from the field and 5-for-5 on 3-pointers, in the Cavs' upset special over the favored Detroit Pistons in Game 6 of the 2007 Eastern Conference finals. He wasn't even drafted in the first round.

Then there was Steve Blake on Saturday, his career arc somewhere in the middle of where Kerr's and Gibson's were when they had their nights as shooting stars, but whose unexpected boost had just as much to do with the outcome of his team's crucial game.

The 32-year-old, in his ninth season, shot the Lakers into the second round, scoring a career-playoff high 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field and 5-for-6 shooting on 3-pointers in Los Angeles' 96-87 Game 7 win over the Denver Nuggets.

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The Lakers move on after a fairly epic 96-87 win over the Denver Nuggets in Saturday's Game 7 at Staples Center.

Up next, the extremely well rested Oklahoma City Thunder.

On tonight's edition of LLN, we hit on...

• Huge, and hugely redemptive, games for Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.
• An excellent return from exile for Metta World Peace.
• A very good game for Kobe Bryant, who made Denver pay for double teaming him.
• Steve Blake filling a big void for the Lakers from the perimeter.
• The next series. What kind of odds should the Lakers get against the Thunder?

Click below for more video from Kobe, Bynum, Gasol, Blake and World Peace:

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That was a fantastic game, exactly what you hope a Game 7 will be. Two teams laying everything they had on the Staples Center floor, and in the end it was the home team pulling it out. With the win, L.A. advances to face Oklahoma City, starting Monday in OKC.

Here are six takeaways ...

1. The bigs were huge.

Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol both came into Game 7 needing redemptive performances, though not necessarily for the same reasons. Bynum was widely criticized for his comments before Game 5 about the "kinda easy"-ness of closeout games, which he answered with a completely lackluster performance. In Game 6, he put up better numbers (16 rebounds, four blocks) but was frequently beat in transition, slow to contest and late to help defensively. Gasol, meanwhile, was pretty ordinary himself in Game 5, and followed with arguably the worst game of his professional career Thursday night.

Both had a ton on the line tonight, and both were outstanding.

The energy on both ends of the floor was light years ahead of the previous two games. Both Bynum and Gasol were aggressive contesting shots, and came out to give support to the pick-and-roll. Gasol, particularly, was animated, showing more emotion during dead-ball situations than I've ever seen from him. He backed up the fire with production, as well. A team-high 23 points, plus 17 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 blocks. Bynum's line -- 16-for-18 with 6 blocks -- isn't a massive leap from what he put up in Game 6, but the overall quality of play was substantially better. He was a huge reason the Nuggets shot worse than 40 percent.

These are the bigs the Lakers will need going forward, fully invested in every play.

2. The Lakers displayed genuine pride and poise.

You'd expect no less in a Game 7, but tonight the Lakers brought serious intensity from start to finish. After Denver made its third-quarter push, the Lakers not only locked down defensively, but contested every rebound and hit the floor for every loose ball. Bynum was on the deck. Gasol was on the deck. World Peace threw himself into the courtside spectators. Down the stretch, they were the team making every significant play, keeping balls alive and establishing good position. In that "uh-oh" moment after Denver took a 73-69 lead with 10:44 to play, L.A. regrouped and shut the door, holding the Nuggets to seven points over the next 10 minutes to again take control.

Fundamentally, every fan wants a team he or she can feel good about, willing to clock in and play with superior effort. At points throughout the season, the Lakers did exactly that, but in Games 5 and 6 didn't deliver. Tonight, they did. Fans will happily take the reminder these Lakers have it in them. Big picture, it's reasonable to worry about a series that took too long to close out, or their ability to beat the Thunder going forward.

Small picture, take as long as available to savor what was a phenomenal effort in an epic 48 minutes.

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In news shocking nobody at all, LeBron James officially won his third MVP award Saturday afternoon, becoming the eighth NBA player to win at least that many.

Kevin Durant finished second, and Chris Paul third.

Just behind Paul was Kobe Bryant, who earned two first place votes and edged out Tony Parker in the voting.

Whether some Lakers fans see this as a slight, I don't know (ok, I do know). To me a fourth place finish is remarkable accomplishment. We're talking about someone who put up MVP-adjacent numbers at 33 years old, with almost two decades worth of regular and postseason minutes on the odometer. This while playing a position where this sort of production with that level of mileage is exceedingly rare.

It won't end in hardware, but this will go down as one of Kobe's more impressive seasons.