Thunder-Lakers Game 3 report card: Kendrick Perkins gets an 'A', composure a 'B'

Kendrick Perkins: A. Gran Torino would get a good grade just for his bright blue Nikes. Looked really solid with the Thunder's road blues. But Perk was more than just show. He played a ferocious game, frustrating Laker 7-footer Andrew Bynum into an horrific night, 2-of-13 shooting, though Bynum made 11 of 12 foul shots to score 15 points. Perkins also sank two foul shots to give the Thunder a 90-87 lead with 3:11 left.

Composure: B. The Thunder kept their cool despite a horrid start. The Lakers spurted to an 18-6 lead, and nothing seemed to work. But the Thunder didn't panic and scratched back into the game. In the second quarter, the Thunder lost its cool a bit. Westbrook and Metta World Chaos drew offsetting technical fouls for a scrum when Westbrook grabbed an offensive rebound and went to the floor. Perk drew a technical for voicing his displeasure over a foul call, but truthfully, the Thunder needed to send the refs a message at that point in the game.

Shot selection: C. The Thunder got plenty of good shots. But it also took ill-advised shots at inopportune times. After the Thunder grabbed a 68-61 lead late in the third quarter, it missed six straight shots to end the period. Three of the first four were questionable – a quick pullup by Westbrook, a wild drive by Harden and a macho drive by Fisher. Late in the game, when the Thunder had a chance to extend a three-point lead, Westbrook missed 3-pointers on two straight possessions. The first was OK, but the second seemed rushed.