LOS ANGELES — Just thought it was worth mentioning given how much Kobe Bryant gets killed by critics when he overdoes stuff (and he does overdo stuff sometimes, no doubt).

Part of the reason the Lakers just beat the Mavericks was because Bryant had the restraint to do the simple, best thing when double-teamed way out on the perimeter by Dallas. He gave the ball up instead of overdribbling to break the traps, and he also made really good decisions on which target to select (usually Lamar Odom) in giving the ball up.

“You have Paul (Gasol) and Lamar who both could make plays,” Bryant said. “So it gets very, very difficult for teams to trap me the way that they used to. They want to run out and trap me at halfcourt, we’ll make them pay.”

Another subtle element of control worth noting given how much attention Bryant’s league-leading 15 technical fouls have gotten: He kept a lid on the bubbling fury in this game (unlike Josh Howard, who did get T’d up for winging his headband Smush Parker-style).

Bryant, one technical foul away from an NBA suspension, was called for a foul by referee Zach Zarba late in the third quarter and discreetly waggled a finger in disagreement and said a few words. A few moments later, Bryant was bumped off a rebound by Howard and glared twice at referee Michael Smith. Then Bryant was called seconds later for a blocking foul by Smith but refrained from arguing at length.

Posted in: 2007-08 • Kobe Bryant |

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