SACRAMENTO – If the Lakers keep playing crunchtime defense this way, the championship threat will become more than that.
After the Lakers outlasted Dallas on Sunday with improved defense, they locked down the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night over the final six minutes to rally for a victory that had Kobe Bryant roaring with satisfaction.
Bryant had 34 points and 10 rebounds. Pau Gasol was a full partner with 31 points and two key defensive plays in the fourth quarter.
QUOTABLE
Discussing his chances to be voted NBA Coach of the Year this season by the media – Phil Jackson has won only once – he joked: “The best interviewer usually gets Coach of the Year.”
QUIET PLAY-CALLING
After a late second-quarter pick-and-roll play for Bryant and Gasol went poorly and resulted in a Gasol traveling violation, Jackson asked guards Derek Fisher and Sasha Vujacic if they told Gasol the play call; they said no, and Fisher apologized to Gasol.
SALMONS UPSTREAM
Add Sacramento’s John Salmons to the list of potential “Kobe Stoppers” for the way Salmons handled his minutes against Bryant, but Ron Artest couldn’t stay with Bryant at all down the stretch.
NEXT
Clippers at Lakers, 7:30 p.m. Friday, FSN, KLAC/570.
LA downed by a dozen points and one in the third canto and in no way had the advantage before Kobe Bryant made his move and brought the whole band there in the concluding minutes of the game ahead for good. Bryant as always, assumed responsibility when needed the most, thrust his Lakers to a critical fourth quarter uprising in which they outscored the Sacramento (Bryant nearly matched the total 18 pts. output of the entire Kings in the 4th Q). Kobe Bryant time and again proves his passion and intensity, his desires alone can move heaven and earth in order to attain primacy for his ball club. I hate to pronounce it but this clutch thing is for KB24 alone and not those pretenders out there.