Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops' face on the scoreboard received the loudest ovation Tuesday night at the Ford Center.
For one of the few times in recent months, the Thunder never gave a sellout crowd a reason to erupt during a 107-89 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers dominated the first quarter 37-20 and led by 20 or more points much of the game.
"We never really made a run," said Thunder forward Nick Collison. "That's rare in the NBA. When a team gets up 20 usually the other team makes a run. It's disappointing we really didn't bring much."
It was only the third time since Christmas that Oklahoma City has lost by double digits at home. The Lakers own two of those wins, including a 14-point margin a month ago. The other was a 104-94 loss to Miami on Jan. 18.
"The Lakers have a chance to play in June," said interim coach Scott Brooks. "That's a very good team with one of their better players (Andrew Bynum) coming back soon."
During the Lakers' visit a month ago, the Thunder nearly erased an 18-point deficit, clawing to with 81-80. This time, the Lakers hit nine of their first 12 shots to remove all drama early.
"We weren't quite ready from the get-go," said Thunder guard Thabo Sefolosha. "That definitely hurt us. We battled in the second half, but those first few minutes hurt us."
