It seemed as if the Los Angeles Lakers were up against it when they headed east to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday afternoon. They had been sputtering for nearly a month on both ends of the floor, while Oklahoma City had won 18 of its last 20 games and boasted the NBA's best defense.
But instead of being held in submission by a team that came in with a league-best 64-13 record, the Lakers took it right to the Thunder and shattered that supposedly great defense.
Los Angeles started to build a lead midway through the first quarter and never looked back.