Thirty-seven-year-old Kobe Bryant hit a game clinching shot with 32 seconds to play and finished with 31 points for the Los Angeles Lakers in a come from behind 111-107 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
On this night, Bryant did more to earn the win than any other player. He wanted it more, and he understood how to win.
After witnessing his team falling by 40 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder from the sidelines a few nights earlier, Bryant came out sharp and scored 13 points in the first quarter. Curiously, Bryant did not play any of the second quarter and instead watched Will Barton go for 23 points in the first half.
The Lakers fell behind by 21 points in the second quarter, but a late 9-0 run to finish the first half helped the Lakers enter the locker room only trailing by 13 points.
As he did in the first quarter, Bryant played the duration of the third quarter and managed four assists and seven points on 3-4 shooting from the field. He ignited the run and sparked a 16-point turnaround during his 12 minutes on the court. At 37 years young, Bryant led by example on both ends.
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"No. 24 did an unbelievable job on both ends of the floor. He took Will (Barton) and just shut him down," Lakers coach Byron Scott said on TWC SportsNet after the game. "[Bryant] just did a fabulous job."
Bryant took on the challenge of Barton, and the 24-year-old shriveled under the competitive gaze of the 20-year professional. Barton only scored two points in the second half, as Bryant rushed him off his spots.
"Just understanding how [Barton]'s getting his points and where he's getting them [and] try to take him off those spots,"; Bryant explained how his 37-year-old brain could conquer his 24-year-old opponent's body (via TWC SportsNet).
In the fourth quarter, Bryant played the final eight minutes and won the game. He hit a turnaround jump shot with 32.2 seconds remaining that put the Lakers up by seven points and effectively put the game in the refrigerator. Bryant tabbed 11 points in that final quarter and played the role of victorious hero in a rare Laker win.
Kobe fişi çekiyor, Hibbert bunlara alışkın değil pic.twitter.com/amzJKQQa53 — bahisanaliz.com (@bahisanaliz) December 23, 2015
Next, the 5-23 LA Lakers travel back to Los Angeles to host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night at Staples Center.
Notes: Denver moved to 11-17 on the season. Barton finished as the Nuggets' leading scorer with 25 points. Jordan Clarkson scored 19 points and pulled down eight rebounds.
