Kobe Bryant dazzles as Los Angeles Lakers beat Phoenix Suns 111 – 99 – NBA Recap
Kobe Bryant was once again the star of the show at the Staples Center, as he led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 111 – 99 win over the visiting Phoenix Suns. The star vowed the crowd on Friday night and helped Los Angeles overcome a resilient Phoenix side with
little fuss.
Kobe was in his element, scoring a whopping 36, game high, points to go along with his 9 rebounds and 6 assists. His terrific performance didn’t leave much else for his teammates to do, who simply tagged along for the win.
Andrew Bynum had a double-double, with 17 points and 14 rebounds, and so did Pau Gasol, 10 points and 13 rebounds. Matt Barnes made an impact coming off the bench for 17 points as well.
Marcin Gortat was in fine form for the Suns and put up big numbers, 21 points and 16 rebounds, in a losing effort. Steve Nash, the indomitable veteran point guard, did pretty much all he could, scoring 11 points and handing out an amazing 17 assists. Shannon
Brown was the only other Suns’ player to reach double figures, recording 15 against his former side.
The game was pretty even at the beginning and both sides remained close until a 6 – 0 run by Phoenix put them ahead 18 – 11. The Lakers replied with an 8 – 3 burst to bring the score to 21 – 19, but the Suns held on to their advantage, finishing the first
quarter up at 25 – 21.
Los Angeles looked determined to chase down Phoenix in the next frame and came out firing early on. Just before the half way mark they went on an 11 – 0 run to take the lead, 45 – 35. The Suns hit back immediately, an 8 – 0 spurt making it 45 – 43. The cat
and mouse game continued until the end, when Los Angeles had a 9 – 0 rally, going into half time at 57 – 48.
The Lakers never looked back afterwards. They came out of the break with a steelier look about them and handled Phoenix well in the third period. Although the Suns managed 25 points in the quarter, Los Angeles scored 30, meaning that they were up by double-digits
when the penultimate frame began.
Phoenix just didn’t have the firepower to overcome the deficit in the last 12 minutes. Los Angeles were always a step ahead and the scores never got closed. Matt Barnes sank the last two free throws of the game to give Lakers the 111 – 99 win.
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