The Thunder beat the Lakers in solid fashion last night. It was a physical affair, got a bit chippy at times, and ended with Kobe Bryant begrudgingly aknowledging that the Thunder are a team that is on the rise. Oklahoman reporter Darnell Mayberry caught a couple great quotes from Kobe after the game, which you can read in their entirety here:

Kobe Speaks Out on Thunder | NewsOK

Here are a few of the tastier exerpts:

On OKC All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook:

"I don't know what the media is doing out here, but everybody just needs to lay off of Russell. That's a bad little dude, man. That's a bad little dude, man. You guys are fortunate to have him....

...He's got the same type of dog that I had in me - that I still have in me - when I was coming up with Shaq. He's got the same fight and he's just 6-4."

On Kendrick Perkins:

"Perk, in my opinion, he's the best one-on-one post defender in the league. He's that good in the low-post. That gives them an added presence. He's also a very good help defender and a screen-and-roll defender. Boston really gift-wrapped them one."

On Kevin Durant:

"You just have to continue to get better. He's making great plays for other players. He's obviously been a phenomenal shooter. He has a developing post game."

On his trash talking session with James Harden:

"The conversation was pretty brief. I mean, I was doing all the talking...Maybe one day they'll be able to sit at my lunch table [laughing]. Right now, we're at two different lunch tables, man."