Bynum and Gasol's double-doubles and Bryant's defense allow Lakers to take Game 5 in playoff series

After depressing losses in Game 2 and 3 in the 1 v 8 playoff series in the Western Conference against Kevin Durant and the young Oklahoma City Thunder, the Los Angeles Lakers took game 5 on tuesday, now leading the series 3-2. The Lakers, from the beginning of the game, dominated the Oklahoma, forcing the Thunder to only score their first points just 11 seconds past the 6-minute mark.

The two key Lakers big men troubled the Oklahoma City Thunder throughout the whole game, with Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum both recording double-doubles in the category of points and rebounds.

With NBA Superstar, Kobe Bryant still struggling to achieve 100% health, Kobe had little impact on the offensive end. However on the defensive end Bryant displayed his true All-Star calibre with his stifiling defense against guard Russell Westbrook who had been hurting the Lakers throughout the playoff series. Putting intense pressure on Westbrook, Bryant and the Lakers kept one of Thunder's key players to 15 points and forced him to 8 turnovers. Hitting the floor, seven times, Bryant and the Lakers stuck to Westbrook like super-glue, bumping him on fast breaks and creating a traffic jam every time he drove to the basket.

Kobe's ability to stick to Westbrook shook the young Oklahoma side up, with Oklahoma's coach admitting that it put them off "He did a good job guarding Russell...That kind of threw us off a little". The Oklahoma side had no answers to the brilliance of the Los Angeles Lakers whom seek to attain back-to-back NBA Championships defeating the Orlando Magic in the final series last year.

Game 6 is on Friday at the Oklahoma, where LA look to clinch the series and Oklahoma will try their best to even up the series and take it to Game 7 which if happens (very unlikely), will be played at the well-renowned Staples Center in LA.

GO THE LAKERS!

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