On Kobe’s Night, the Lakers Team Came Through

Sometimes it’s hard to notice the little things.  However, on the game that Kobe Bryant passed Michael Jordan’s career scoring record, the team came through.

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How so?

Zach LaVine torched the Lakers at Staples Center for 28 points.  He shot 11 of 14 from the field.  I know that from memory, because he was absolutely on fire for that night.  It was a great day for him and the Timberwolves, but a bad one for the Lakers.

Ronnie Price had a mission tonight.  Even though he isn’t a scorer by any means, he set the tone defensively against LaVine, drawing two steals mid-way through the first quarter on LaVine off-the-dribble.  Other times, Zach tried to attack, and Price would just tap the ball out of bounds.

He couldn’t get in rhythm.

Jeremy Lin even drew a charge, even if he couldn’t get a call on the offensive end.  How did Zach LaVine’s game fair overall?  He finished 4 of 15 from the field, with 6 assists and 4 turnovers.  He had an open look for three late in the game to keep it close, but bricked it.

Point guard defense can do that.

The biggest story though, should be Carlos Boozer off the bench.  He showed activity on the offensive boards against Gorgui Dieng and Anthony Bennett.  He scored 22 points on 10 of 14 shooting from the field, with 13 total rebounds, 6 on the offensive glass.  Coming off the bench, he looks to scoring quickly, and his productivity per minute is much more dense.  The Lakers needed every one of those rebounds as the Timberwolves outrebounded the Lakers by just 1.

Shabazz Muhammad lit up the Lakers with an Antawn Jamison-game.  His flip shots and ability to draw fouls led to 28 points in under 28 minutes.  He rocked points in the paint.  When Wesley Johnson was switched onto him defensively, not only did he quiet down, he disappeared late in the game.  In fact, the team went to meet him.

While it’s a historic night for Kobe Bryant, the Lakers as a unit came through.  No, Nick Young wasn’t on fire.  Neither was Bryant.  But the team made critical plays to pull out the victory.

That’s what counts.