Oklahoma City Thunder

Lakers vs. Thunder Game 6 (Final score) Lakers 95, Thunder 94 Remember how Lakerdom was at a point of panic just a few days ago. The Lakers had lost two straight to the Thunder and there was a real concern that the defending NBA champions might not even make it out of the first round. Time to relax. The Lakers went down to the last second Friday night as Pau Gasol put the ball in after a Kobe Bryant miss and the Lakers took a 95-94 win over a tough Oklahoma City Thunder.

Here's a look at what the Lakers should do with their agents as well as players who hold either team or player options. Andrew Bynum, center Status: Lakers hold $16.1-million team option Verdict: Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak told The Times' Mike Bresnahan that the Lakers will exercise the team option before the June 30 deadline. But Bynum expressed indifference to reporters after the Lakers' Game 5 loss Monday to Oklahoma City on where he plays.

In what marked his first return to Los Angeles since the Lakers traded him, Thunder guard Derek Fisher noticed how much time has flown by. "It's only been a couple of weeks," Fisher said, "but it seemed so much longer. " It sure has. After acquiring Ramon Sessions in a separate trade from Cleveland, the Lakers traded  Fisher and a first-round pick to the Houston Rockets for Jordan Hill. Fisher and Houston then negotiated a buyout, before he signed with the Oklahoma City for the rest of the season.

Some things to take from the Lakers' 99-96 Game 3 victory Friday over the Oklahoma City Thunder. 1. The Lakers salvaged their season. I'll break down the particulars, but a Game 3 victory ensured the Lakers 2011-12 season remains intact. Yeah, there's still a Game 4, but there's no way the Lakers would overcome a 3-0 deficit. It's even debatable the Lakers would duplicate their Game 4 embarrassment last season against the Dallas Mavericks.

OKLAHOMA CITY AT DALLAS When: Monday at 5:30 p.m. PST. TV: NBA TV. Update: The schedule makers must have really wanted to find out in the season's first nine days if the Thunder is ready to lower the boom on the NBA's defending champions. Oklahoma City prevailed, 104-102, on Thursday in the first meeting between the presumed Western Conference powers when Kevin Durant made a three-pointer at the buzzer to beat the visiting Mavericks. Now the teams will meet again four days later, giving Dallas a chance to pick up the pace following an abysmally slow start.

Scott Brooks figured his Oklahoma City Thunder team had been in enough close games in the fourth quarter to eventually win one. Its time came Wednesday night. The Thunder pulled away in the third quarter and held on for a 107-100 victory over the Golden State Warriors. It was only the fourth win of the season for Oklahoma City, which ended a five-game losing streak. "We've had a lot of fourth-quarter games. When you're put in that situation constantly, you get better," Brooks said.

FIRST ROUND Lakers 4, Oklahoma City 2 Game 1: at Lakers 87, Thunder 79 Game 2: at Lakers 95, Thunder 92 Game 3: at Thunder 101, Lakers 96 Game 4: at Thunder 110, Lakers 89 Game 5: at Lakers 111, Thunder 87 Game 6: Lakers 95, at Thunder 94 Leading scorer: Kobe Bryant, 23.5 ppg Leading rebounder: Pau Gasol: 12.2 per game The lowdown: With Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum...

The video doesn't lie. And when Andrew Bynum saw how he was slow to get back on transition defense after Lakers Coach Phil Jackson pointed out that fact over and over and over again during Thursday's video session, Bynum could only listen. Then again, it was either listen or sit on the bench. Bynum listened -- playing 27 minutes, 28 seconds -- being active on defense and offense, being that force in the middle the Lakers needed. Bynum ran his seven-foot, 285-pound body back hard and with a purpose, getting in position to be a defensive factor for the Lakers during their 111-87 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night in Game 5 of the Western Conference first-round playoff series at Staples Center.

His team has won seven consecutive games, and yet Lakers Coach Phil Jackson is not at ease. His team has allowed more than 100 points in just one game during the winning streak, and yet Jackson isn't satisfied. That's because Jackson senses the Lakers will have their hands full with back-to-back games against the Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder. Sunday, the Lakers face the Clippers at Staples Center in the Clippers' designated home game in the arena the teams share, and then the Lakers take on the Thunder at home on Monday.

What should the Lakers feel optimistic about against Oklahoma City? Mike Bresnahan: The Lakers actually showed some fire in their double-overtime victory over OKC last month. Can't remember a Lakers crowd ever getting that into a regular-season game. The Lakers' defense really showed me something in Game 7 against Denver. Not sure where it was the whole series, but the Lakers will have to employ it the entire time against OKC. Ben Bolch: The Lakers' 7-footers give them an advantage, provided they show up. Of course, that didn't always happen in the first round.

So, the Thunder want to force Kobe Bryant out of his game.Oklahoma City will double and triple team him to limit his dominance. The Thunder hopes the strategy will force him into a role as facilitator. The brash and aggressive combination of James Harden and Thabo Sefolosha try to goad the Lakers' star into needlessly throwing up shots.Oh, it works sometimes.

The realities of a lockout-shortened season will confront the Lakers one last time. They have been playing back-to-back games for months, but the playoffs aren't exactly the best time to endure a second game in a 48-hour span. Particularly when your opponent is the Oklahoma City Thunder, whose starters have an average age of 24.6. The average age of the Lakers' starters? A relatively geriatric 29.2. The Lakers have no choice but to slog through the second game of a back-to-back situation Saturday night at Staples Center in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals.

What should the Lakers feel optimistic about against Oklahoma City? Mike Bresnahan: The Lakers actually showed some fire in their double-overtime victory over OKC last month. Can't remember a Lakers crowd ever getting that into a regular-season game. The Lakers' defense really showed me something in Game 7 against Denver. Not sure where it was the whole series, but the Lakers will have to employ it the entire time against OKC. Ben Bolch: The Lakers' 7-footers give them an advantage, provided they show up. Of course, that didn't always happen in the first round.

Derek Fisher has a career's worth of Lakers moments to remember. James Harden has one he'd rather forget. For better or worse, the Oklahoma City duo will confront those memories when the Thunder plays the Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals. "It seems that's just the way it's supposed to be," Fisher told reporters in Oklahoma City about a matchup that starts Monday night with Game 1 at Chesapeake Energy Arena. It will be the first time Fisher has faced his former team in the playoffs.

In what marked his first return to Los Angeles since the Lakers traded him, Thunder guard Derek Fisher noticed how much time has flown by. "It's only been a couple of weeks," Fisher said, "but it seemed so much longer. " It sure has. After acquiring Ramon Sessions in a separate trade from Cleveland, the Lakers traded  Fisher and a first-round pick to the Houston Rockets for Jordan Hill. Fisher and Houston then negotiated a buyout, before he signed with the Oklahoma City for the rest of the season.

-- NBA.com's Randy Renner reports former Lakers guard Derek Fisher is in Oklahoma City to finalize talks on a contract. The report also indicates Fisher was spotted at OKC's Will Rogers World Airport early this morning with Thunder GM Sam Presti and other members of the Thunder front office -- ESPN.com's Marc Stein reports Fisher is "very close" to signing a deal with the Thunder. - -The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry talks to Kevin Durant, who supports Fisher joining OKC. Game stories -- The Times' Mike Bresnahan explains how Andrew Bynum's ejection hurt the Lakers in their 107-104 loss Tuesday to the Houston Rockets.

Manu Ginobili scored 26 points and made a spectacular block on a would-be Kevin Durant dunk late in the fourth quarter, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 95-87 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. Ginobili's block helped stop Durant's streak of scoring 25 points or more at 29 straight games. He had 21 points and 12 rebounds, the first time the NBA's leading scorer had fewer than 25 points since Dec. 19. -- associated press

USA's final roster for FIBA World Basketball Championships: Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder), Derrick Rose ( Chicago Bulls), Rudy Gay ( Memphis Grizzlies), Lamar Odom (Lakers), Chauncey Billups ( Denver Nuggets), Danny Granger ( Indiana Pacers), Russell Westbrook (Thunder), Eric Gordon (Clippers), Stephen Curry ( Golden State Warriors), Kevin Love ( Minnesota Timberwolves), Tyson Chandler ( Dallas Mavericks) and Andre Iguodala ( Philadelphia 76ers).

With 1 minute 42 seconds left in the first quarter Wednesday night, Derek Fisher checked into the game as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder to play against the Clippers. He had spent 12-plus seasons of his 16-year career with the Lakers over two stints, winning five NBA championships. Fisher was traded March 15 by the Lakers to the Houston Rockets, something Fisher said surprised him. He worked a buyout from the Rockets and signed a free-agent contract with the Thunder after he cleared waivers.