Kobe Bryant, Western Conference | featured news

Kevin Durant scored 22 points, Russell Westbrook added 18 points and eight assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder evened their first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers with a 110-89 victory in Game 4 on Saturday night.

Kevin Durant scored 29 points, and Russell Westbrook added 27 as the Oklahoma City Thunder earned their first-ever playoff victory, holding off Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers 100-96 in Game 3 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series.

With Denver keying on Kobe, Bryant's teammates rise to the challenge and give L.A. a 3-2 lead.

Kobe Bryant's big shot over J.R. Smith gave Los Angeles a one-point lead with
just over a minute left Saturday night and sparked the Lakers to a 103-97 victory
over the Denver Nuggets for a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Kobe Bryant scored 32 points, but the series heads back to Staples Center on Sunday. The road to the NBA championship that the Lakers so desire has ran into a roadblock in the Western Conference semifinals.