For an arena housing the second-worst team in the NBA, the Staples Center sure had plenty of buzz Sunday night.
Such is the larger-than-life presence of Kobe Bryant.
Running on fumes as he nears the end of his illustrious 20-year NBA career, the Los Angeles Lakers legend turned back the clock one more time against the Boston Celtics, dropping a game-high 34 points in a 107-100 loss to his old foe.
Never mind that Bryant entered the game shooting just 35 percent from the floor and had scored seven points total in his previous two games. Sunday night belonged to Kobe, a fact he established immediately by drilling an 18-foot jumper and a deep 3-pointer right out of the gate.
“Man, he looked like the old Kobe,” Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas told reporters. “From the jump, from the first play, he just had a different energy about him. You knew it was probably going to be a long night, because he felt good.”
Lakers coach Byron Scott confirmed that the “old Kobe,” who finished four points shy of his season high in 33 minutes of game action, indeed was in the building.
Bryant, whose Lakers beat the Celtics at TD Garden back in December, had every intention of putting the team on his back to complete the season sweep. He hoisted over 30 percent of his team’s shots, shooting the ball 28 times while attempting 10 free throws. He nearly pulled it off, too, keeping Lakers fans on the edge of their seats in a tight affair that wasn’t fully decided until the final minute.
Bryant has spoke at length about what his rivalry with the Celtics means to him, as the 37-year-old’s history with Boston includes both heartbreak in the 2008 NBA Finals and triumph two years later in the 2010 Finals. Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, just two years Bryant’s senior, admitted he’s glad to not have to deal with the future Hall of Famer down the road.
“Two things crossed our staff’s mind(s). We just talked about it,” Stevens said in an interview aired on CSN New England. “Number one is, as much as we enjoy watching (him) on TV, I’m glad that we never will again.
“And number two is, I can’t imagine what it was like 10 years ago. Because he looked like he was 29 years old out there, and I know what I feel like at 39. He’s an amazing athlete. He’s an amazing player. Hats off to him.”
Thumbnail photo via Richard Mackson/USA TODAY Sports Images
