Los Angeles Lakers: On this day in history, March 16th
We take a trip down memory lane, reliving some Los Angeles Lakers memories from this day in history on March 16th.
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most storied franchises in the NBA. They have had some incredible performances throughout the years. Unfortunately, it will be a long time before we can see anyone in the purple and gold have another memorable performance.
With the NBA suspended for at least 30 days and the CDC putting in new policies, we may not see any basketball until June. But, that gives us an opportunity to go down memory lane and take a look at this day in Lakers‘ history.
March 16th has one good and one bad memory. We will start with the bad.
Back on this day 20 years ago, the Lakers were riding a 19-game winning streak. It was the third-longest winning streak in the history of the league at that point. The team finished the regular season 67-15 and was the first team to win a title in the three-peat under Phil Jackson.
However, on March 16th of that year, they suffered one of their few losses of the season. It was a shocking loss, as they visited the 20-45 Washington Wizards. Shaquille O’Neal had a dominant game, scoring 40 points with 12 rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
Glen Rice scored 22 points, but Robert Horry was the only other Laker to score in double-figures, scoring 12 off the bench. Kobe Bryant struggled, scoring seven points on 2-of-10 shooting from the field.
Mitch Richmond and Juwan Howard led the way for the Wizards. The Lakers would lose only 11 more games the remainder of the season, including the playoffs.
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Now, onto the good memory from March 16. In 2007, Kobe Bryant had one of the biggest scoring nights of his career against the Portland Trail Blazers. This was just one of the many times the Trail Blazers were on the wrong end of a memorable Lakers moment.
Bryant willed the Lakers to a 116-111 victory over the rival Trail Blazers that night, scoring 65 points. Lamar Odom and Maurice Evans, who scored 15 and 14 points, respectively, were the next highest scoring Lakers that night.
The Blazers had five players score in double-figures that night, led by 31 from Zach Randolph. LaMarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy, Ime Udoka and Travis Outlaw joined him in scoring double-figures.
Those five players weren’t enough to take down Bryant, who was carrying the Lakers night in and night out during that season.
Next. Kobe Bryant's Best Game Against Every Team In NBA. dark
The next season was when the Lakers made it back to the NBA Finals, as the front office swung a blockbuster deal for Pau Gasol to create a new core with Andrew Bynum, Odom and Bryant.