Kobe Bryant pounds 38 as Los Angeles Lakers hold on to beat Sacramento Kings - NBA Recap
There is no room for complacency in an NBA game and that is the lesson, the Los Angeles Lakers nearly learned the hard way in Friday’s game against the Sacramento Kings.
After a commanding performance in the first three quarters, courtesy of Kobe Bryant, the Lakers were cruising to a win. A layup by Andrew Bynum in the first minute of the deciding quarter boosted the already massive lead to 20
points 94-74, and it looked like the Kings were heading to one of their biggest defeats in the shortened season.
However, in the ensuing passage, the Lakers relaxed and the Kings raced off to a brilliant 21-6 spurt, capped by a three-pointer for Jimmer Fredette, to get within a striking distance, 95-100. Fortunately for the Lakers, Metta
World Peace and Bryant jumped to the rescue and initiated a 13-7 spurt that helped the Lakers escape the jail.
Bryant was yet again the star for Lakers with a game high 38 points on 11 for 14 from the free throw line and 8 boards.
"We played well, (but) we didn't come in with the right sense of urgency and focus in the fourth quarter, and it almost cost us," Bryant said.
Bynum had a double-double with 19 points and 15 boards while Pau Gasol and World Peace both tallied 15 points apiece.
Lakers were accurate with their shooting and knocked down a healthy 53.7% from the floor in contrast to a meager 43.7% from the Kings. They also held the upper hand in the rebounds (48-40), however committed 13 turnovers tonight-
majority of them in the final frame.
Seven players from Kings ended with a double-digit tally. Reserve Francisco Garcia paced them with 18 points on a 7 for 11 from the floor while Marcus Thornton sealed 15 points. Tyreke Evans and rookie Isaiah Thomas both netted
14 points while John Salmons and Fredette amassed 12. Fredette scored all of his points in the deciding quarter.
"It was a great confidence-builder for myself, but ultimately we wanted to win the game," said Fredette. "We were coming back, and we had a few things that didn't go our way, and a couple of shots that didn't go down that could
have put us really close."
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