LOS ANGELES -- As the season drags out, Lakers Nation is divided.

Do the Los Angeles Lakers' fans want to the team to keep losing and improve its chances of keeping its first-round draft pick? Or do they want to win regardless of the draft implications?

There is no consensus either way, but Lakers head coach Byron Scott offered his perspective on what he felt the fans want.

“I think the majority of them ...” Scott said before pausing and rethinking his answer. “Let’s say half and half. Half of them want us to lose, and half of them want us to win.”

Does that line of thinking from loyal fans bother Scott?

“The half that want us to lose? That bothers me a lot,” Scott said.

Well, Scott was clearly bothered on Sunday as those on Team Tank got their wish. The Lakers, riding the momentum of a three-game win streak, fell 108-101 to an undermanned Oklahoma City Thunder squad playing without Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Steven Adams.

After holding the Utah Jazz and Milwaukee Bucks to sub-28 percent shooting in the fourth quarters of consecutive games, the Lakers were still effective against the Thunder in the final frame (OKC shot just 39.1 percent), but were never able to pull closer than six points.

Jeremy Lin led all scorers with 20 points, while also adding six rebounds, eight assists and three steals. Jordan Hill claimed 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Jordan Clarkson and Wayne Ellington each scored 12 points.

Disappearing act: What happen to the Lakers’ vaunted defense over the past three games? With Durant and Westbrook out of the lineup, the Thunder had no singular offensive force capable of taking over the game, but they found a way to hurt the Lakers in transition (plus-6), from beyond the arc (plus-6) and at the free-throw line (plus-5). The Lakers were too often late on their rotations to corner 3-point shooters and gave up too many uncontested baskets at the rim when they were forced to help the helper. The Thunder may have shot only 41.2 percent, but they still put up 108 points and had plenty of good looks.

Second-unit spark: Los Angeles’ bench outperforming its starters is nothing new this season, but today’s disparity was particularly jarring. No Lakers starter registered a positive plus-minus; all four bench players did. Lin was the player of the game, and Hill and Ed Davis palpably outplayed starters Carlos Boozer and Robert Sacre, which made it somewhat confusing as to why the bench didn’t play more than they did.

Up next: The Lakers embark on a three-game road trip and face the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday.