Those the things Kobe Bryant does

As we did the other night from Oakland, here’s a game story on Friday’s Raptors-Lakers thriller.

 

LOS ANGELES – Kobe being Kobe.

With three incredible shots – each more difficult and significant than the previous -- Kobe Bryant had a couple of minutes for the ages at the Staples Centre on Friday, basically single-handedly carrying the Los Angeles Lakers to a 118-116 overtime victory over the Raptors.

It was a tour de force from one of the game’s great closers and no matter what the Raptors did, it wasn’t good enough.

Bryant hit a three-pointer that was nothing special with 1:41 left in the fourth quarter to carve a five-point Raptor lead to two.

Bryant hit a three-pointer practically falling out of bounds in the corner with 29.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter to carve a four-point Raptor lead to one.

Bryant hit a three-pointer while being double-teamed and the game on truly on the line with 5.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter to carve a three-point Raptors lead to nothing.

Sense a theme?

Three shots, three shocking, clutch, game-deciding shots that most mortals would not make.

“That’s what he does,” said Raptors coach Dwane Casey. “He makes great shots and that’s why he’s a great player.”

Bryant shouldn’t have had the chance to get off the game-tying three, however.

With the Lakers inbounding the ball at midcourt with 8.4 seconds left, the basic basketball play was to foul whoever caught the ball as soon as he caught, give up two free throws to get possession back and try to run out the game.

But Amir Johnson couldn’t get his hands on Bryant, Rudy Gay didn’t close out quickly enough to get anywhere near him and Bryant did his business.

“On the catch,” Johnson said of the time he was supposed to foul. “But I missed him and he made a tough shot.”

For Casey, another mental breakdown with a game on the line was as frustrating as it’s been all season.

“It was a valiant effort and it’s to the point now where you’re playing for the playoffs, you have to put the mental part into it,” he said. “Our guys are fighting, scratching their behinds off. Now we have to understand the intensity and the speed of the game and how much thought you have to put into the game and execution at the same time you’re playing hard.”

Bryant, who finished with 41 points, also had four points in the overtime as did another wily old veteran in Steve Nash.

But Nash, astonishingly given his history, missed one of two free throws with 6.6 seconds left that gave the Raptors one last chance to tie.

But on a night when he couldn’t hit the ocean from a boat, Rudy Gay missed a prayer at the buzzer, capping an 0-for-4 overtime and a 7-for-26 night.

“Did I like them?” Gay said of his looks. “They didn’t go in, so I guess not. I don’t like to miss.”

The reason Gay was taking all the shots was because Bryant was taking DeMar DeRozan out of the picture with some great individual defence. Left to operate against the likes of Jodie Meeks and Steve Blake, DeRozan had 28 points on 10-for-18 shooting but he didn’t score in the overtime and had just four points in the fourth quarter with Bryant covering him.

“(He) just tried to bother me, make my shot tough,” said DeRozan. “I knew I wasn’t going to get anything easy. He was just trying to get me off the post and I just tried to be aggressive.”

 

 

 

Comments

[deaner]

Save the trip to LA doug, the story writes itself every single time. Kobe kills Raps in dying seconds. Its been that way for over a decade.

[latefordinner]

“Our guys are fighting, scratching their behinds off"
He should go to the drug store, they have a cream for that.

[Matt M]

This is why I hate hero ball. The 'Narrative" ends up ignoring everything else. Reading this you would think that Kobe was the only player on the floor with the other four bit players in the Kobe show. One wonders how the Lakers even got to 118 pts with Kobe only scoring 41, or beat the Raps in OT with Kobe only scoring 4.

[Nathaniel S]

In a just older than recent mailbag you answered a question of mine as follows:

"Q: When is it time for Colangelo to go?

Chris Bosh leaving without adequate compensation was a fireable offence in my opinion, on its own

A lot of overpaid underperformers: Amir Johnson, Linas Kleiza, and now Landry Fields.

No discernible plan. Anthopoulos for the Jays has operated on a clear plan since he took over. Colangelo seems to start something every couple of years and then blow it up.

I used to follow the Raps very closely. I won't follow them again so closely until we have a new GM that is more substance than style. Thoughts?

Nathaniel S, Toronto

A: I think you should enjoy whatever it is you do with your newfound idle time.

And, no, 13 games into the season is not “time for Colangelgo to go” and we’ll see where they are at the end of the season, when his contract expires.

Until then, why make a move?"

Can I now say that the reason he should have been fired is to avoid making the Rudy Gay trade? Gay is now just another heavily overpaid underperformer on the team - perhaps the worst example of a set of bad examples. And while he's better than he was last night, overall he's still a very inefficient shooter with a one dimensional game.

And now there's word that Gay may get an additional 2 year extension despite the fact that he still has 2 years on his contract: http://www.sbnation.com/2013/3/7/4074412/rudy-gay-toronto-raptors-extension-bryan-colangelo

Have you changed your mind on asking the question "why make a move?"?. In my opinion, the longer he sticks around, the more he cripples the near and longer term potential of the franchise. The Gay trade is a perfect example of why you fire a bad GM no matter how many games into the season you happen to be.

[kal]

I honestly think there were a few bad coaching decisions: why go to Rudy, a mere 30% shooter who missed his last 8? If he had a tough night, don't rely on him to tie or WIN the game. Why have Gray replace Amir when he fouled out? we all know that Gray is not quick enough and that Kobe would roll past him with a lot of ease.. What happened to Jonas? another tough loss that makes a playoff spot harder...

[Dean]

Doug, every post game interview with Coach Casey in a close loss sounds the same " I told them to foul the shooter but it didnt happen we practice it but i dont know" this is hard to understand why time after time they dont foul when he asks them to. Is it the personal on the floor that just doesnt have the ability to get it done and if so I wonder why for example your most intelligent defender and probably your best defender Landry Fields was not on the court to guard Kobe and foul him as requested or foul any other shooter at the end as requested probably at least 5 times this year. Your comments please....

[J]

@Nathaniel S:

That's a silly conclusion. You make it sound like BC is holding MLSE hostage. If you consider that MLSE was on board with the trade, why would the Gay trade make firing him 13 games in any more rational?