Kobe Bryant puts on a show; Los Angeles Lakers pull the trigger late to beat Phoenix Suns - NBA
On Tuesday night, the Staples Centre witnessed the contest of the two Pacific division rivals, Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns and their talismans Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash.
On the night it was the Black Mamba, who stole the show with a season high 48 points on an 18-for-31 shooting. The game was headed for a thrilling end with just 6:14 to go in the last quarter, but Kobe took over completely after that. He scored 14 of the next 16 Lakers points as the stunned Suns could only manage one free throw during that stretch to lose the game 99-83.
Pau Gasol had 16 points and 10 rebounds while centre Andrew Bynum finished the night with 12 points and 8 boards.
Channing Fyre led the Suns with 17 points while Marcin Gortat had 16 points and 12 rebounds. Nash ended the night with 13 points and 8 assists.
The game started at a rapid pace. Bryant drew the first blood with a jumper to set the ball rolling, but Phoenix, keyed by six points from Nash, reeled off a 8-2 run and then pulled off another seven point unanswered run to take a 19-10 lead with 4 minutes remaining in the first quarter.
The Lakers responded big time in the ensuing passage as Kobe went berserk and the hosts launched 15 point unchallenged run to carve out a 25-19 lead going into the second. Kobe scored 13 points in that run and 17 overall in the quarter.
The Lakers carried their momentum into the second quarter and started it on a 10-4 burst to push their lead to 35-23. They however committed five turnovers and missed 5 of their six field goal attempts in the next six minutes or so, allowing the Suns to take back the lead (38-37) with a 15-2 run. The game hung in balance after that, but the Lakers finished the first half on a 6-2 run to regain a 46-42 lead.
Phoenix kept on pushing for the lead in the third and after getting within one point of the Lakers thrice, they finally took a 56-55 lead on a Marcin Gortat jumper with 7: 36 remaining in the frame. The game was tied twice in the ensuing passage, but the Lakers jumped to an 8-2 run for a 68-62 lead with 3:18 left in the third.
The Suns responded swiftly with consecutive two’s but Bryant hammered six points on a trot to ensure that the Lakers started the fourth frame with a 73-68 lead.
Shannon Brown, the ex-Laker, started the fourth quarter with a bang. He scored 9 of the first 11 points for the Suns, who closed in at 82-83 on a Channing Fyre triple, midway through the fourth, and the stage was set for the game to go right down to the wire.
Bryant however had different ideas altogether.
The shooting guard scored four points on either side of a Pau Gasol jumper to turn the game on its head. Suns were forced take a time out with 3:16 remaining and were treated with some more of Kobe’s brilliance upon returning. With 1:59 remaining, Bryant made a signature fade away jumper and then snatched a rebound on the defensive glass. After a turnover at both ends, Kobe netted another jumper followed by a one more defensive rebound.
Then with 35.7 seconds to go, the Lakers superstar made two free throws to end the night on 48 points.
Tags: