If there's a more electrifying athlete on the planet, I'd like to know who it is. Kobe Bryant put on a show Wednesday night that would've sold out regardless if anyone else was on the court. Beyond just lighting up the scoreboard, KB24 hit shots that stretched the limits of reality, and performed some aerial maneuvers that made David Stern wonder if the NBA should impose special rules on Kobe just to even out the playing field.
Bryant started hot right out of the gates. At one point, he hit ten consecutive shots on his way to a 20-point first quarter. He slowed down a little bit in the second, but that was mainly so he could get his teammates involved. And with Kobe torchin' the nets and getting triple-teamed everytime down the floor, the rest of the squad was wide open when he'd kick it out - just some good old fashioned basketball. Unlike game 1, Kobe did spread the ball around a little bit, ending up with a game-leading 10 assists.
The fourth quarter was another brilliant period for Kobe. Draining three-pointer after three-pointer and getting to the basket without any resistance, he ended up dropping 18 in the fourth and slamming the door shut on Denver. Kobe was pulled out of the game with about 3 minutes left after some extracurricular action with a Denver guard named 'J.R. Smith'. Wait, who? Apparently, this guy didn't like the fact that Bryant was the only one doing anything significant, so he decided that the way he'd get notariety around the league would be to be known as 'that guy who helped fuel Kobe's 49-point explosion.' So after KB24 chirped at him for a while and took him to school repeatedly, JR Smith had enough and started to get unruly. All this did was allow Kobe to hit technical free throws while Staples Center chanted M-V-P!
This game was a testament to the versatility of the L.A. Lakers. They win games when everyone is involved and shooting well, and they win games when Kobe decides he's gonna carry the load all by himself. Lamar didn't play particularly well,
Bryant started hot right out of the gates. At one point, he hit ten consecutive shots on his way to a 20-point first quarter. He slowed down a little bit in the second, but that was mainly so he could get his teammates involved. And with Kobe torchin' the nets and getting triple-teamed everytime down the floor, the rest of the squad was wide open when he'd kick it out - just some good old fashioned basketball. Unlike game 1, Kobe did spread the ball around a little bit, ending up with a game-leading 10 assists.
The fourth quarter was another brilliant period for Kobe. Draining three-pointer after three-pointer and getting to the basket without any resistance, he ended up dropping 18 in the fourth and slamming the door shut on Denver. Kobe was pulled out of the game with about 3 minutes left after some extracurricular action with a Denver guard named 'J.R. Smith'. Wait, who? Apparently, this guy didn't like the fact that Bryant was the only one doing anything significant, so he decided that the way he'd get notariety around the league would be to be known as 'that guy who helped fuel Kobe's 49-point explosion.' So after KB24 chirped at him for a while and took him to school repeatedly, JR Smith had enough and started to get unruly. All this did was allow Kobe to hit technical free throws while Staples Center chanted M-V-P!
This game was a testament to the versatility of the L.A. Lakers. They win games when everyone is involved and shooting well, and they win games when Kobe decides he's gonna carry the load all by himself. Lamar didn't play particularly well,
scoring only 4 points and being benched most of the game in foul trouble. Gasol took a step down from his game 1 heroics, and Rony Turiaf didn't even suit up due to an injury sustained in practice. But that's OK since Kobe Bryant is the future. I don't mean that in the sense that he's gonna be the premiere player in a few years; he's been peerless for a few years already. I mean that his game is so advanced that there really isn't any defense for it - that defense hasn't even been developed yet! Read the following excerpt from NBA.com:
"Tonight, the way he was going, we probably could have put 10 people on the court and probably wouldn't have been able to stop him,'' said Nuggets star Allen Iverson, who wasn't bad himself, getting 31 points and six assists.
That just about sums up my point. I'm a Lakers fan first and foremost, but Kobe could've beaten both of the teams on the floor by himself Wednesday night.
Now the series moves to Denver, a place Kobe knows inside and out. A few years back, he spent a lot of time there in and out of courtrooms (and hotel hostesses). This time around though, Denver is so preoccupied with keeping the Cornrow Kids (Iverson and Carmelo) out of trouble that Kobe can relax. By the way, I'm not convinced that Carmelo Anthony isn't playing the games drunk. Forreal, I saw him smiling a couple times on the court during game 2. The Nuggets ain't have nothin' to smile about! Maybe he was just excited that Bryant was giving his team a free basketball clinic.
Until next time, stay hungry and stay humble. See you Saturday.
Horus
most valuble player - Kobe
wake up award - Lamar Odom
garbage time all-star - Coby Karl
sharpshooter award - Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton
sixth man of the game - Luke Walton
"Tonight, the way he was going, we probably could have put 10 people on the court and probably wouldn't have been able to stop him,'' said Nuggets star Allen Iverson, who wasn't bad himself, getting 31 points and six assists.
That just about sums up my point. I'm a Lakers fan first and foremost, but Kobe could've beaten both of the teams on the floor by himself Wednesday night.
Now the series moves to Denver, a place Kobe knows inside and out. A few years back, he spent a lot of time there in and out of courtrooms (and hotel hostesses). This time around though, Denver is so preoccupied with keeping the Cornrow Kids (Iverson and Carmelo) out of trouble that Kobe can relax. By the way, I'm not convinced that Carmelo Anthony isn't playing the games drunk. Forreal, I saw him smiling a couple times on the court during game 2. The Nuggets ain't have nothin' to smile about! Maybe he was just excited that Bryant was giving his team a free basketball clinic.
Until next time, stay hungry and stay humble. See you Saturday.
Horus
most valuble player - Kobe
wake up award - Lamar Odom
garbage time all-star - Coby Karl
sharpshooter award - Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton
sixth man of the game - Luke Walton
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