The table was set for a heavyweight bout. After being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Perkins threw down the gauntlet by expressing his disdain for the Lakers, calling Phil Jackson, "arrogant" and Pau Gasol, "soft". But would the Thunder big be able to back it up on the court?
Thunder 120, Lakers 106.
If you didn't believe that trading for Kendrick Perkins was a big deal for OKC, then perhaps you should now. The high octane offense of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbook now has their enforcer on defense and the Thunder came into the Staples Center with the confidence and toughness to deliver a KO to the defending champs.
Kobe Bryant responded to the Thunder challenge with 31 points by going 10-for-19 from the field, his best shooting performance during the losing streak which has grown to five.
Pau Gasol answered his critics by having a 26 point, 10-for-16 shooting night, but the Laker big could only manage four rebounds.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, Thunder superstar, Kevin Durant, would match Kobe's 31 point total and outshoot him, with a stellar 11-for-15 shooting performance.
Russell Westbrook was able to match Gasol's output with his own 26 points and the Thunder's all-star point guard was able to outrebound Pau by grabbing seven boards.
As for Perkins' contributions? They can't be measured by his stat line of two points and five rebounds. In the 29 minutes he spent on the floor, he yielded a +10, second best among the Thunder starters.
By comparison, Kobe was a -12 in 31 minutes, Pau was a -10 in 33 minutes, and Andrew Bynum, Perk's couterpart, was a -9 in 39 minutes, despite having 12 points and 13 rebounds.
When asked how much better the Thunder are after the addition of Perkins, Phil Jackson was reluctant to give the Thunder center any credit by responding, "I don't know about that." and proceeded to read Perkins' stat line.
However, the "Zen Master" may have unintentionally sang the big man's praises. Jackson rambled on, "He gives them an attitude...defensive toughness...he challenged Kobe, when Kobe set a pick on him...[He] got a technical on Kobe...That kind of animosity and toughness gives them kind of an identity...a bit more physical team.
Who could've said it better than you, Phil? Winning is an attitude is it not? Defense wins championships. Heard that one before? The playoffs are more physical. So I guess the Lakers don't need to be concerned about all that coming from the OKC Thunder.
Truth is the Lakers did exactly what Phil asked of them. They played harder and they played better. They shot 47 percent as a team, including 47 percent from behind the arc. But more importantly they only committed ten turnovers, considerably less than the 18 they had been averaging in the previous four losses.
That being said, it just wasn't good enough. The Thunder shot 55.6 percent from the field and 47 percent from three point land as well. They outrebounded the Lakers 38-34 and were an outstanding 32-35 from the free throw line. The Thunder bench outscored the Laker bench 37-20.
The Lakers are now faced with the reality that they may have to win both of their final two games to hold on to the second spot over Dallas in the West. They currently have an identical record with the Mavericks, but they also face the more daunting task of a Tuesday night showdown with the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs, who currently have a one game lead over the Chicago Bulls for best overall record, still have something to play for.
If the Lakers fall to the third spot in the West, the path to the finals may become a lot more difficult. It could mean a first round series with Portland, something they would love to avoid, and a conference semi-final with Dallas in which they would not have home court advantage.
After tonight's Thunder performance, a playoff rematch with the Lakers is looking more and more like a real possibility. Don't be surprised if OKC advances against the Spurs. If they do, it could mean a real treat. A Lakers-Thunder Western Conference Finals. What could be more tasty? It looks like Kendrick Perkins would find that matchup to be the most appetizing.
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