Kobe Bryant struggled to start the game. He looked flat on the floor. The shots were forced and out of context of the offense. He got subbed out.
The Lakers came in with a bench unit and did a tremendous job moving the basketball on offense. Their energy on defense increased as a consequence. At one point, the Lakers were leading by ten points in the second quarter over the Warriors. It didn’t matter that Curry was hot in the first quarter and Klay Thompson was hot as well. The Lakers had shut down the rest of the Golden State Warriors down.
Then, they went on a 14-0 run. That ten point lead was eradicated by three consecutive three-point plays, each one different. It took a corner three-pointer from Harrison Barnes, an And-1 from Harrison Barnes, and a Stephen Curry-fouled three-point attempt for a fast 9-0 run.
Although Kobe Bryant started the game 3 of 10 from the field, he looked forward to the third quarter. He knew it was his.
He was getting the basketball in his spots. Spot up jumpshots, transition plays, and forced shots were dropping. He knew he got hot. He finished the quarter on 9 of 14 shooting from the field. He looked like his prime self.
A couple of crazy circus shots remind of us how Kobe Bryant is as a player. You can bet they’re low percentage shots. You can also bet that Kobe Bryant is the only player in the league who can make them. They may not be the most efficient forms of scoring, but that’s the kind of play that contributed to five championships.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t carry that momentum into the fourth quarter. He is on a minutes watch, but entered the game after playing 29 minutes. With nine minutes left to go, he tried a few shots, but the lift and energy were deflated below him.
He finished 12 of 28 from the floor, with 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 turnovers.