The Los Angeles Lakers won an overtime thriller against the world champion San Antonio Spurs on Friday night.
The Lakers entered Friday's game with 10 fewer wins and 10 more losses than the Spurs. When they fell behind 10-0 to start the game, Friday night seemed like it would be another long night for the languishing Lakers.
With a national audience watching, Kobe Bryant did not simply gun for Michael Jordan on the scoring chart. He set the table and started the Lakers' offense. By halftime, the Lakers had a four-point lead and had scored 54 points on the world champions. Bryant, who needed 31 points to pass Jordan on the all-time list, only attempted nine shots in the first half. Instead, he led a balanced attack that flourished off three-point shots. Bryant would go into the locker room with a healthy 11 points, three assists and four rebounds.
The Lakers' three-point proficiency derived from the especially hot hands of Jeremy Lin, Wesley Johnson and Nick Young. The trio hit 10 of their first 11 three-pointers.
In the second half, Bryant came out with a purpose. The 36-year-old scored eight points in the third quarter setting up a fantastic finish. With 19 points to his name, Bryant took his final rest knowing that he only needed 12 points to pass Jordan on the NBA's all-time scoring list.
Even better, the Lakers continued to play balanced basketball and carried an 11-point lead into the fourth quarter. Down the stretch, though, Bryant continued to pass and make the correct basketball plays.
Of course, Bryant did have a special moment of offensive brilliance. With exactly two minutes to play and the Spurs within six points, Bryant beat the shot clock with a deep three-point shot over his defender. The shot was incredible, but the offense failed from that point forward.
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After Bryant's incredible three-pointer, the Lakers would not score again for the final 1:59 of the the fourth quarter. At home, the Spurs rallied and tied the game late. Both the Lakers and the Spurs had chances to win the game in the dying moments, but overtime was in the cards.
Young re-emerged to give the Lakers an early lead in the extra session. The San Antonio Spurs responded to take a one-point lead with a minute to play in the overtime. Then, Young would do his best Bryant impersonation. Late in the shot clock with his team trailing late in overtime, Young hit a deep three-point field goal that gave the Lakers a two-point lead with 7.4 seconds to play. Young would also finish as the leading scorer in the game with 29 points.
"'Swaggy' shooting a desperation three [with the] clock running down — piece of cake," Lakers coach Byron Scott smiled when asked if that's how he drew it up.
Miraculously, the Lakers held on for a defensive possession and won 112-110. Bryant did not catch Jordan on this night, but he got the win. He would tab up six assists in the fourth quarter and overtime to put him at nine assists and 22 points for the game. The smile on his face did not make it seem as if Bryant was at all concerned about catching Jordan when the final buzzer sounded.
Next, the Lakers will be in Minneapolis on Sunday, so Bryant can add poetry to passing Jordan in the place where the Lakers were born.
