Kobe Bryant puts nice finish on Lakers’ victory over Warriors
At the 6:37 mark of the fourth quarter, Kobe Bryant checked back into the game between the Lakers and Golden State Warriors Wednesday night.
The Lakers and Warriors had been in a back-and-forth game, neither team willing to yield to the other, neither team backing down.
But then Bryant put his fingerprints all over the game, scoring 17 points in the quarter, doing so in less than seven minutes, pulling the Lakers along with him for a 115-110 victory over the Warriors.
Bryant finished with 30 of his 39 points in the second half, but it was his fourth-quarter exploits that helped the Lakers win their sixth consecutive game.
“You have a responsibility to your team to try and come through in those situations and make the right play,” Bryant said. “Tonight, I did that.”
As Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said, “Kobe finished the game off.”
Bryant began his offensive assault with a three-pointer from the corner with Monta Ellis in his face.
Bryant then got Ellis to foul him while shooting. He made two free throws.
Bryant scored on a driving layup while being fouled. He made the free throw for a three-point play.
Bryant scored on a 14-foot jumper.
When the Warriors double-teamed him, Bryant found Ron Artest for a three-pointer that gave the Lakers a 102-97 lead.
“He’s been waiting to have that kind of game,” Jackson said about Bryant. “We haven’t had that many finishes like that for a while. That’s what he loves to do.”
Ellis had been giving the Lakers problems all game long.
He had 38 points on 13-for-21 shooting. He made all 11 of his free throws.
“It’s just two players trying to get a win,” Ellis said. “I’ve known for the last three years that I would be guarding him, so I just prepare and do whatever it takes.”
Bryant was nine for 14 shooting in the second half, two for four on three-pointers.
He missed just one of his five shots in the fourth quarter, and made both of his three-point attempts.
“I was just taking care of business,” Bryant said.
Asked if he wanted to make Ellis, who played all 48 minutes, work on defense so his offense might suffer some, Bryant frowned at the question.
“It doesn’t matter who is on me,” Bryant said. “[If] it’s go time, it’s go time.”
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