Lakers’ Ramon Sessions disappoints in series against Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Lakers can only hope that their point guard of the future is better than the one of their recent past.

Even if the player who fits both descriptions is Ramon Sessions.

After providing a considerable boost upon his acquisition in March, Sessions was a disappointment for most of the Western Conference semifinals.

His performance in the Lakers’ season-ending 106-90 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 on Monday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena may have been a new low.

Two of Sessions’ playoff-worst six turnovers triggered big runs by the Thunder.

There was a cross-court pass intercepted by Thabo Sefolosha late in the second quarter, leading to a flagrant foul on the Lakers’ Metta World Peace as Sefolosha went in for a breakaway layup. Oklahoma City scored the final four points of the quarter on an ensuing flurry of free throws, wiping out the Lakers’ one-point lead.

The sequence was such a blur that Sessions said he couldn’t recall his turnover.

“I remember Metta getting the flagrant,” he said, “but I don’t really remember what happened before that.”

Sessions had another moment to forget late in the third quarter.

With the score tied, he made a bad pass that was stolen by Russell Westbrook. Sessions compounded his mistake by fouling Westbrook on a one-handed running bank shot that somehow went into the basket, resulting in a three-point play.

The Thunder scored 10 of the next 13 points and never trailed again.

“For the most part, I probably didn’t play to the best of my ability,” said Sessions, who finished with eight points on one-for-six shooting to go with five rebounds and three assists. “But it’s one of those things that you live and you learn and just move on, really.”

The Lakers will be idle for several months after a series in which Sessions averaged 6.8 points while shooting 35.3% and missing all four of his three-point shots. He also had 15 assists, 11 turnovers and struggled to defend Westbrook, who scored 28 points Monday.

Sessions played so poorly earlier in the series, scoring only two points in each of the first two games, that Lakers Coach Mike Brown often used reserve point guard Steve Blake in the fourth quarter.

“With this being Sessions’ first playoff run,” Brown said, “I felt at times he was a little lost or he was just kind of out there going through the motions.”

Sessions said he had not decided whether to exercise the player option he holds for $4.55 million next season and become an unrestricted free agent.

“It’s a decision I have to make I think by June 20 what I’m going to do,” he said. “I’ll sit back and reflect and go from there. I don’t really know yet.”

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