The Oklahoma City Thunder (18 - 9) dealt the struggling Los Angeles Lakers (4 - 23) yet another loss, winning 118 - 78. Per usual, stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook led the way for the Thunder. Durant wowed with 22 points in 30 minutes, made more impressive alongside 8 rebounds. Westbrook, coming off a 27 - point performance against Cleveland, put up just 13. However, the All-Star also tacked on 11 assists, and his average of 9 per game puts him at second in the NBA behind the Kings' Rajon Rondo. The Thunder's win came as no surprise, as the Lakers have struggled mightily thus far this season. The team sits at last in the Western Conference, and holds the unfortunate distinction of second - worst record in the NBA, edging out only the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite the loss, Jordan Clarkson delivered a strong performance, posting 15 points and 4 rebounds. Clarkson has shown off his high potential of late, posting 12 points, four assists, and two steals in the Lakers' previous matchup against Houston. The Lakers' woes have persisted throughout the season, and their bad luck looks unlikely to change any time soon, as they face road matchups in four of their final six games of the calendar year. Their next game will be in Denver on Tuesday. OKC, on the other hand, has established themselves as a legitimate contender early on in the season. They will face the fourth - seed Clippers on Monday in Los Angeles.
["PlayerStat(G,'Jordan Clarkson') has 15 Assists ,has 4 Minutes played ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Kevin Durant') has 30 Assists ,has 22 Minutes played ,has 8 Points ."
 "PlayerStat(G,'Russell Westbrook') has 11 Assists ,has 13 Minutes played ."]