Vs. San Antonio Spurs – Game 3, 2001 Western Conference Finals
Just a handful of days after Kobe had single-handedly put the Kings down for the count, the Lakers were in the Western Conference Finals taking on the undying San Antonio Spurs when their dynasty was still young. However, Bryant didn’t give a damn about Tim Duncan and company in Game 3 of the WCFs as he went out on the floor and just made his mark on every aspect of the game.
While he didn’t have the defensive stats that some of his big performances are supplemented by, Kobe did have a monstrous overall outing. He finished the night with 36 points, eight assists, nine rebounds, and one steal for good measure while playing just 40 minutes in the victory. Moreover, he shot an impressive 14-27 from the floor and pushed the Lakers’ lead in the series to 3-0 over the Spurs, all but ending any hope for San Antonio of ever beating the Shaq-Kobe Lakers.
There’s a narrative out there that Kobe was carried by Shaq to their three titles and, while O’Neal was a big factor and it would’ve been much more difficult with a center even slightly less dominant, Kobe was just unreal on numerous occasions through their run. This happens to be one of those times.
Next: Vs. Raptors