Final Score: Lakers 111, Thunder 87

After what we saw in Games 3 and 4 of this first round series between the Lakers and Thunder, it appeared that the 8-seed underdogs had a decent chance to take Game 5 from the struggling Lakers.

That is, until the defending champions decided to make a firm statement to the rest of the league: They are still the team to beat.

The Lakers got a balanced attack of interior dominance and perimeter shooting to easily dispose of the Thunder in Game 5. Los Angeles began the game on a 10-0 run, took a 20-point lead into halftime and cruised to a 24-point victory, 111-87.

Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum dominated inside for the Lakers, while Kobe Bryant took a more diminished set-up role that resulted in a perfect team effort offensively. And on the defensive end, the Lakers gave Oklahoma City no room to create and score easily, with Bryant defending the explosive Russell Westbrook and Ron Artest sticking to Kevin Durant all game.

Gasol had 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists while Bynum added 21 points, 11 boards, and 2 blocks. Lamar Odom contributed 7 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks off the bench. The three-headed monster for Los Angeles was efficient and dominant in the paint all night. The undersized Oklahoma City frontline was bullied inside and failed to stretch the floor on the offensive end.

Kobe Bryant took just 9 shots on his way to a 13 point, 7 assist effort. The Lakers' superstar did not need to dominate the ball in order to have a major impact offensively. There still remain questions about Bryant's ability to take over games and score at will like he has been able to in the past, but L.A. may not need him to play the role of superstar this postseason. With a healthy Bynum, Gasol, and Odom manning the frontline for L.A., the Lakers have several options to rely on and ways to attack opponents.

Oklahoma City simply struggled from the tip-off of Game 5. They could not get into a rhythm offensively and were constantly getting bullied inside on defense.

Kevin Durant scored 17 points on 5 of 14 shooting, one of his worst performances of the season. Russell Westbrook had 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists, but committed 8 turnovers and was visibly frustrated by the defensive tactics of Kobe Bryant and the other Laker help defenders.

Without Durant or Westbrook being able to have spectacular offensive nights, Oklahoma City had no chance to come back against a hot-shooting Laker team in Game 5. The Thunder shot 37% as a team for the game while L.A. shot 53%.

Defensively, the Lakers played as well as they have all season. Their decision to assign Kobe Bryant on Westbrook defensively worked out wonderfully. Bryant focused just as much on his defensive effort in the game as he did on his offense. The Lakers as a whole played with a defensive intensity and gameplan that was very difficult to make shots against. They had 10 steals and 10 blocks while forcing 16 turnovers and committing 6 less fouls than their opponent.

The dominant performance by the Lakers in Game 5 reminds the basketball world that they are the defending champions and are ready to turn up their level of play when it matters, which is right now. They are an absolute force to be reckoned with when clicking on all cylinders. Phil Jackson knows his team's strengths and weaknesses and what it takes to get his team playing at their highest level. It's not just Kobe Bryant's team anymore, but it's an interior-dominant team that works the triangle offense to perfection to find easy looks for their scorers.

Heading to Game 6, Oklahoma City will be ecstatic to get away from Los Angeles and look to get back to playing their game at home. On the brink of elimination, the Thunder just need to focus on winning Game 6 before considering how to stop the Lakers on their home floor.

The Lakers will be looking to end this series in Game 6, but have struggled mightily in Oklahoma City. They have the luxury of a home Game 7 if needed, but know that anything can happen in a 1-game playoff. The Thunder have the potential to play a much better game than they did in Game 5, especially if they restore some confidence with a Game 6 win.

Expect both teams coming out in Game 6 like it is a must-win game. For the Thunder, it obviously is. They will look to ride home court in the game to get a shot at redemption on the Lakers in Game 7 after they were stomped to the ground last night in Game 5.