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Lakers: Electric STAPLES Center Atmosphere Propels LA to Victory

By Eric Yee

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With their second win of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers are now on pace to go 74-8 this season… Well, at least that’s what it felt like at STAPLES Center on Sunday night.

The first thing that must be mentioned is that the energy at STAPLES Center on Sunday was electric. The building was packed, and you could feel the nervous vibe throughout the crowd on every play. “There’s no way we’re falling to 1-9 at home…”

The Lakers entered the game 1-8 but something about this game was different. Fans seemed to be filled with the hope that good times were just around the corner, that this game was going to be different.. and it was.

Having attended a few games this season, this was the first time the building felt like this. Every fan was on pins and needles the entire game, moaning and groaning at every call, roaring when big dunks or huge threes were made, unafraid to shout, “That’s not your shot!! Pass the ball,” after Julius Randle‘s ball stopping isolations.

Something powerful was in the Los Angeles air on Sunday night and it was a joy to experience. Whether it was because fans were beginning to realize that this might be one of the last times they get to see Kobe Bryant in the Lakers’ Sunday Whites, or that it was the first time that Byron Scott has begun to show any semblance of what it means to be an NBA coach, the fans were rowdy from the get-go.

Entering the second-half with a four point lead, the oh-so-familiar story that fans have gotten used to where the Lakers look like they’re in the game until they collapse in the fourth quarter, was not going to be played out like games past. Sunday night, the fans were going to do everything in their power to will the Lakers to their second win of the season and they did just that.

The energy even rubbed off on the players who were flying around the court, in their most active defensive performance of the year. Even Lakers players on the bench couldn’t sit still, jumping out of their seats onto the court cheering at every opportunity.

In the words of Nick Young, “[The Lakers] pretty much became like a boyband, like N’Sync. We was really in sync with the game.”

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It wasn’t until late in the fourth quarter when the building completely lost it. STAPLES Center erupted when Kobe Bryant hit, what turned out to be, the game clinching three in classic Kobe fashion: catch, shoot, amazing “please-let-me-make-this” follow through pose.

Finishing with 17 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds in 36 minutes, Bryant truly gave the fans a show to be remembered.

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One thing that must be mentioned is that Bryant slowly seems to be coming to grips with his adjusted role and is doing it with relative ease.

Even at age 65, Bryant still knows how to move a defense around; he doesn’t command doubles all the time, but he knows how the defense will react when he does certain things. The difference Sunday night was that Kobe finally looked like he’s accustomed to getting the ball to his teammates in positions where they’ll actually succeed.

Additionally, even though he jacked up 19 shots to get his 17 points, Bryant shot less questionable shots than recent contests, finishing +14, second only to Nick Young and Larry Nance Jr. who were +20 and +15 respectively.

After playing the entire fourth quarter, Kobe revealed he was tired and sore, “I’m not looking forward to walking to the car right now. Seriously,” and would not be playing in Monday night’s contest against the Suns.

Next: Lakers Would Be Foolish to Risk Losing Robert Upshaw for Good

Is this fans’ first look at the final form of Kobe Bryant? Is this the beginning of a new chapter for the young Lakers? Who knows, but Sunday night’s electric performance made it look like anything is possible for this exciting Lakers team.

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