Thunder 119, Lakers 90
THUNDER 119, LAKERS 90: Russell Westbrook scored 27 points and Kevin Durant added 25 as host Oklahoma City trampled Los Angeles in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.
James Harden scored 17 points off the bench for the Thunder, who showed no signs of rustiness from an eight-day layoff after sweeping the Dallas Mavericks in the first round.
Westbrook added nine assists and seven rebounds and Durant grabbed eight boards before each took a seat for the fourth quarter.
Game 2 will be played Thursday night in Oklahoma City.
Andrew Bynum had 20 points and 14 rebounds and Kobe Bryant scored 20 points to pace the Lakers, who were playing two days after closing out Denver and wilted after a fast start. Metta World Peace finished with 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter.
The Thunder seized control in the final 3 1/2 minutes of the second quarter, getting five points from Westbrook in a 9-2 spurt to take a 59-44 lead into halftime.
The Lakers had erased an 18-point deficit to beat the Thunder at the end of the regular season, but Oklahoma City opened the second half with a 9-0 blitz to ensure there would be no comeback.
Durant scored eight points and the Thunder hit their first seven shots in the first four minutes of the third quarter to build the lead to 77-48.
The lead peaked at 35 points for the Thunder, who buried 12 of 17 shots in the quarter to turn it into a 98-68 rout entering the final 12 minutes.
GAME NOTEBOOK: World Peace was booed lustily when the starting lineups were introduced. His vicious elbow to the head of Harden during a game on April 29 left Harden with a concussion and earned World Peace a seven-game suspension. ... Harden was presented with his Sixth Man of the Year award prior to the game. ... Thunder C Kendrick Perkins went to the locker room after barely elevating for a dunk early in the third quarter and did not return. He had practiced Sunday for the first time since suffering a right hip strain in Game 4 of the sweep of Dallas. ... Oklahoma City committed only one turnover and had a 20-2 edge in bench scoring in the first half. ... Lakers G Devin Ebanks was ejected after a skirmish late in the game. Oklahoma City's Royal Ivey was hit with a double technical.