TrueRaiderLaker Productions Return: Kobe Bryant Tribute Wallpaper

It's been awhile since I've done a TrueRaiderLaker Productions standalone post. But, lately I've been getting back to the swing of things on the Photoshop end. I wanted to do something simple. So, I worked on yet another Kobe Bryant-themed wallpaper since 2016 and fitting that I share this in between today, his actual birthday and tomorrow, which was officially declared "Kobe Bryant" day in Orange County, CA.

Nearly six months later after the death of Kobe, Gigi, members of the Altobelli and Chester family, Christina Mauser, and pilot Ara Zobayan, it still hasn't sunk in to accept the reality that these people are gone. Kobe's death especially left a huge black hole not just within the Lakers, not just within the NBA, but in the sports and entertainment world in general. Not many athletes today were fortunate enough to witness Michael Jordan in his prime. But, they were fortunate to witness Kobe Bryant. He was arguably the closest player we've seen to Michael Jordan in terms of skill and mentality. Five rings say it all.

This is free to download off the blog. Save and share. We haven't forgotten about you Kobe and never will. #24Ever #8toInfinity

Dimensions: 1366 x 768

Mamba 4 Ever!

There will be no Weekly Roundup this week and the Super Bowl preview will be delayed. This post will be all over the place. So bear with me. Laker Nation, the NBA, and all of the sports world, we are all in shock today. The news heard all around the world: Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gigi, and seven other people are dead after a helicopter crash this morning.

I can't believe that this is true. It's surreal to hear this. I can't even process this. If you were a Laker fan growing up in the 2000s like I was, you know from the back of your mind how much Kobe impacted the game. He was the reason why I became a Laker fan the first place. The memories are endless from the three peat with Shaq. The back-to-back titles with Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. The individual accomplishments: 81 points, 62 points in 3 quarters, MVP in 2008, back to back Finals MVP in 2009 and 2010, 60 points in his final game. The list goes on and on. 

What made Kobe so special was his will to win and his relentless work ethic. The "Mamba Mentality." It's that mentality to be the best, better yourself each and every day, work hard, and stay locked in at the ultimate prize. If you go down, get back up, dust yourself off, and press on. And Kobe exemplified that persona. As a Laker fan, I've seen him play through many injuries whether it was an injured index finger or a torn achilles. He still pressed on and willed the Lakers to wins time after time.

It's so sad and tragic that he had a life ahead of him after basketball. He started a business. He won an Oscar for "Dear Basketball." He had so many projects in the works after that. He coached his daughter Gigi. It's sick that even Gigi was among the deceased as well. Just terrible news all around. I can't even think what's going through the family right now with Vanessa, Natalia, they just had a newborn daughter. I feel so sorry for them.

It'll be hard to process this for the next couple of days. As Laker fans, we've said this from time to time, the day Kobe dies will be a depressing day. We just didn't expect it to happen so sudden. We will miss you Kobe. But your legacy, your Mamba Mentality, 8 and 24, they will all live on in our hearts. Mamba out. Rest easy. 

The Night That Was: Kobe Bryant Drops 60 in Finale

This game will certainly be one of those games you tell your grandchildren about. It's 9:04 AM in the West Coast, in the Bay Area and I'm still hyped after watching this game and covering this game with you guys on the blog. The Bay Area is hyped for another thing though. The Warriors breaking the '95-96 Bulls' record and setting the mark at 73-9 and kudos to them, Last night was hands down the best night for basketball fans regardless of which game you watched. Last night was special for me as a Laker fan as Kobe rode into the sunset, guns blazing, and willing the Lakers to one last victory. The NBA put this video together as noted above this post of every field goal Kobe made and the last two free throws to put him at 60 points in the Lakers' 96-101 win over the Utah Jazz. The funny thing is I remember when Kobe became the youngest player to reach 30,000 points, his first points were from the free throw line and it all came full circle last night that his last points in the NBA would be again from the free throw line. Like I said, a fitting end to an illustrious 20-year career.

Goin' Out Mamba Style: Kobe Scores 60, Notches Win in Final Career Game vs. Utah

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' matchup vs. the Utah Jazz, the final game of Kobe Bryant in his 20 year career where Kobe goes out in style, the only way that Kobe know when to go out. Kobe went out guns blazing, putting up one more 60 point game and rallying the Lakers to a 96-101 win.

There are so many adjectives to describe this finale: amazing, awesome, fantastic, legendary, unbelievable. I said it during the season, Kobe Bryant was not the same player as he once was, but you can't deny the competitive drive and the will to win. The heart of a champion was still beating (a reference to my old Kobe vignette) and Kobe delivered one final performance for the ages. 60 points, hitting the go-ahead jumper for the Lakers to get the win against the Jazz who were already eliminated from playoff contention with Houston's win today, but they still competed their butts off. Hats off to them. But you can't write a better ending than this.

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Kobe Bryant, 60 points, 22-50 shooting. Are you kidding me? 37 years old. A major achilles injury, multiple knee and shoulder injuries throughout the season at the twilight of his career. He struggled all season long and he puts up this kind of performance in his final game! As a longtime Laker fan, we know Kobe is capable to pull off a performance like this, but at 37 years old! I guess Father Time allowed him to go off for this one game. Every shot Kobe put up, I was on my feet like I was a kid/teenager during his prime and during the championship years. Yes he started slow, yes he missed a lot of shots, but he single-handedly got this team to a victory. His arsenal was on full display, blowing by defenders, hitting impossible shots, hitting impossible three pointers, something Kobe did night in and night out during his prime. Awesome, vintage performance from the Black Mamba! And I enjoyed every moment of it.

Jordan Clarkson, 12 points, 7 rebounds, 6-10 shooting. I emphasized this on my halftime post that the Lakers' young players have to find a way to get involved. This storybook ending wouldn't have been possible without guys like Clarkson, who has been the overall constant among the young three of the Lakers. Clarkson made a couple of big buckets, clutch rebounds to give the Lakers and Kobe Bryant a shot at a victory. That and he honored Kobe with a 360 dunk of his own in the third quarter. Props to Clarkson for answering the bell.

Larry Nance, Jr., 8 points, 6 rebounds, 3-3 shooting. I've always looked at Nance as a high energy guy for the Lakers off the bench. When he gets involved, the Lakers get a spark. Nance displayed a couple of highlight dunks to rile up the Staples Center crowd and give the Lakers new life and he hustled his butt off out there to get to the ball. Solid play from Nance.

(-)

I am going to let the negatives fly. Despite how bad the Lakers started off this game and how they were down for the most part, getting the win for Kobe was all that matters. If they did lose, of course there would've been negatives to note out. But, I'll let this pass.

Conclusion

For the Lakers, this season has been atrocious from the start, but us Laker fans were rewarded at the end to see Kobe Bryant have the game of his life one more time. His performance tonight brought us nostalgia. It brought us happiness, joy, and at the same time, tears that he's going to be gone next season. I've had a lot of memories of Kobe from my childhood to my teenage years and now to my adulthood. I've witnessed him rally the Lakers to a victory in game 4 of the 2000 NBA Finals without Shaq on the floor,  drop 81 points against the Raptors, nail a game winner against the Phoenix Suns during the 1st round of the 2006 NBA Playoffs, drop 61 points at MSG, nail a 3-pointer in J.R. Smith's face in front of a hostile Denver crowd during the '09 Western Conference Finals, hit a total of 6 game winners during the '09-10 season, hit two free throws despite a ruptured achilles against the Warriors, and most of all, I've witnessed him help deliver 5 championships to the Lakers. He's added one more performance to my memories and I'll look back at this game for a long time. Thank You Kobe Bryant for giving me a lot of memories as a Laker fan. Someday, numbers 8 and 24 will be hung from the rafters and Staples Center will unveil a statue of you doing one of your most disrespectful poster dunks on another player (it could be Dwight). As tough as it was to see you play the last couple of seasons since the awful achilles injury, whether we've watched you live or on TV, there's no doubt that I and the rest of Laker Nation have enjoyed every single moment of you being on the court whether it's at Staples Center or on the road.

Thank You!

What are your memories of Kobe Bryant's 20-year career? Share in the comments below. A Season in Review post for the Lakers' 2015-16 season will be posted up sometime this week or next week depending on my schedule. I'll see you guys later. 

Kobe! Kobe! Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!

04/13: Farewell Kobe LAKERS vs. Utah Jazz Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

UTA 96 LAL 101

Allow me to clear my throat for a bit...KOBE!!!!!!!!!! You cannot write a storybook ending to an illustrious career better than this! 60 points, the most scored by any NBA player this season and a win to go out on top. That 60 points though, who else to do it by the Black Mamba! He's done it before and for the first time in a long time, he's done it again! He also showed that clutch ability too, hitting the go ahead jump shot in the final minute to pretty much seal the deal for the Lakers. Laker Nation, I am going to remember this performance for a long time. A fitting end to a great career. Thank you Kobe! Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

UTA 75 LAL 66

37 points and counting for Kobe Bryant! The good news is that the Lakers are still in this game. I said in my halftime post, I thought the rest of the team was kind of hesitant in the first half to take a shot and resorting to Kobe to take those shots since it's his final game. They woke up a little bit this quarter. Jordan Clarkson pulled a little Kobe move with a 360 dunk on the break during the quarter. D'Angelo found his shot a little bit. Small steps, but Kobe is continuing to turn back the clock in his final game. One more quarter.

Q2:

UTA 57 LAL 42

It's understandable that it's Kobe's last game and they're giving him every shot that he gets, but the young guns of the Lakers need to find a way to step up their game. The only time they showed up was when Kobe created a turnover in the final minute, passed to Russell, and Russell passed it to Randle for the easy dunk. The players have to find a way to get themselves in this game. More to come in the halftime report.

Q1:

UTA 21 LAL 19

Talk about a tale of two halves this quarter. Both teams could not buy a bucket. The Lakers started 0-7 from the field. Kobe looked like he had some early jitters, starting 0-4, but man did he turn back the clock mid-quarter with a couple of jump shots, 3 pointers. Byron Scott let him play the full quarter. Let's see how many minutes he play the next quarter. Lakers managed to capture the lead briefly, but Utah came storming back for a two point lead.

LAKERS-Jazz Halftime Post

UTA 57 LAL 42

Welcome in to the halftime post of the Lakers' matchup and Kobe Bryant's final game vs. the Utah Jazz where

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Kobe Bryant, 22 points, 7-19 shooting. It's his farewell game and deservedly so, Kobe has the spotlight in this. However, the first quarter the Lakers started 0-7 and Kobe accounted for 4 of those first 7 shots. The haters like that, but then Kobe Bryant started to heat up in the mid-quarter, putting up a vintage sequence down the stretch, hitting five shots, one from deep (3 points). He's also blowing by defenders, which is impossible for a normal 37 year old coming off from an achilles injury three years ago. Overall, I thought the Laker offense came alive once Kobe got it going after an 0-4 start from the field.

(-)

The supporting cast. I said it in the Q-by-Q reaction in my 2nd quarter post, it's understandable that they're giving Kobe the ball to delight the Staples Center crowd, but they have to find a way to step up. Julius Randle, 2 points, D'Angelo Russell 4 points, and Jordan Clarkson 4 points. The future of the Lakers hinges on these three and it's starting off like a repeat the last time they played the Jazz when the Jazz blew them out in Utah a few games back.

Bottom Line

The adjustments are self-explanatory. The other thing I forgot to note out is that they held Rodney Hood to 2 points. Last time, they let Hood burn them for 30 in a half and they've done a good job keeping him in check. But, the Jazz are playing team ball. The Laker young guns have to find a way to make this game about them even though this about Kobe playing his final game. They have to get involved. Even if Kobe is having his way with his vintage performance in the first half, we don't know how long that will last and that should urge the other players to find their game. We'll see how the final chapter unfolds.

TrueRaiderLaker Productions Entry #5: Thank You Kobe!

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Laker Nation, an era is about to end this week and I've cooked up something special while fighting back a wave of emotions in the process. Here, I present to you, the first Laker-related multimedia content since I formed TrueRaiderLaker Productions last summer and the first multiple resolution wallpaper of TrueRaiderLaker Productions: a thank you to a Laker legend and future 1st ballot hall of famer. One of the all-time greats, the Black Mamba, Kobe Bryant!

For 20 years, we've been spoiled to witness the legend of Kobe Bryant unfold from our very eyes, whether we've watched him on TV or seen him live in person. Some grew to hate him, while most of us, we grew to love and admire him. He has engaged in some legendary battles against all-stars, legends, and hall of famers. From the GOAT, Michael Jordan to Tim Duncan to Allen Iverson to Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, Manu Ginobili, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry. Kobe Bryant has battled them all and provided a lot of timeless memories for us Laker fans, fans of the opposing teams, and fans of the NBA in general. 

The traits we'll remember the most about Kobe Bryant is his competitive drive to get better every single day, his will to win, and his killer instinct to break the hearts of the home team on the road. There may be promise in the future for the Lakers, but there is no player in my opinion that could replicate the competitive fire of the Black Mamba. We could go on and on reminiscing about the fond memories we have of watching Kobe throughout the years. Now that two games remain in Kobe's illustrious career, all we can do is watch, savor every moment, and appreciate the time Kobe has left on the court. This wallpaper shall serve as a memento of all the memories Kobe has provided us throughout the years, donning the purple and gold. 

"This season is all I have to give. My heart can take a pounding. My mind can handle the grind. But my body knows it's time to say goodbye." ~ Kobe Bryant, "Dear Basketball"

Lakers Lose to Cavs as Kobe-LeBron Rivalry Ends

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers matchup vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers where two MVPs and two  future Hall of Famers, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James battle one last time in Kobe Bryant's final season in the NBA. The two put on quite a performance, but at the end of the day, LeBron's Cavs bested Kobe's Lakers 120-108.

As a young, brash high school teenager back in the day when the Kobe-LeBron rivalry was at its peak, I'd hate it when the Lakers would lose to the Cavs and later, the Miami Heat during the Big 3 era because LeBron would "one up" Kobe in head-to-head matchups and we wouldn't hear the last of his fans. I tell you guys like I said when I posted up the quick recap in the earlier meeting between the Lakers and Cavs in February, it was war back in the day. It still is, but I think there's beginning to be mutual respect considering Kobe is retiring and LeBron is almost at the tail end of his career. Despite the end result of the Cavs beating the Lakers, the main headline was Kobe vs. LeBron and tonight's game and the brilliant showing by both MVPs brought back the glory days of this rivalry. It doesn't get any better than that.

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Kobe Bryant, 26 points, 5 rebounds, 11-16 shooting. If we want the perfect final chapter of Kobe vs. LeBron, we wanted to see Kobe Bryant, the player right now be the old Kobe Bryant and bring out the best while LeBron brings out the beast. Man, did we get what we want on this night. I say this time and time again outside my blog, he's not the player he once was, but when he delivers vintage performance like this, we have to appreciate it because we're not going to that a lot this season. His arsenal of skills was on full display, faking out defenders, posting them up, hitting jumpers with a hand in his face. Perhaps the one highlight of this game that we'll all be cherishing is when he faked LeBron out of the ground for an easy layup. That'll be timeless to replay over and over again.

Marcelo Huertas, 13 points, 6-10 shooting, 5 assists. Huertas has done it again. He's not going to fill out the stat line with magnificent numbers, but his presence on the court allows more flow to the offense. Again, he's a proven point guard overseas. I could tell that the Cavs' defense throughout this game were anticipating his every move based on his court vision on where he will feed the ball to. They were daring him to take a shot instead of looking for the extra pass and 13 points, 6-10 shooting? Hey, he can score too.

D'Angelo Russell, 24 points, 8-19 shooting. Shooting-wise, it was not great night for Russell, but he made some buckets that kept the Lakers afloat when the Cavs were looking to make their lead insurmountable. 24 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, it's a pretty decent stat line for D'Lo.

(-)

Defending beyond the arc. LeBron didn't have to be full on beast mode for the Cavs if the 3 point shooting was off the charts. Well, maybe not off the charts, but the Lakers could not find a way to shut down the Cavs' 3 point shooting. They were having a tough time keeping Channing Frye, who accounted for a majority of the Cavs' 3 pointers, away from beyond the arc. To make matters worse, J.R. Smith, Kyrie Irving, and even Matthew Dellavedova started hitting 3's to put this game away. The Cavs successfully spaced the floor against this Lakers defense.

Jordan Clarkson, 5 points, 2-12 shooting. I'm sure this was a night Clarkson wanted to forget about. He started the game 0-7 and missed a couple of great looks at the basket early on. The two shots he finally made were all in garbage time. It was just a horrendous off game for Clarkson.

Conclusion

2016, the year great head-to-head rivalries between two great players dies. After late January, we are never seeing a Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady head-to-head matchup ever again and after this game, we are never seeing a Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James head-to-head matchup ever again. As sports fans, we are spoiled with a lot of fond memories. For what it's worth, no matter which team won or lost this game tonight, the performances of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James entertained us whether we were at home watching on TV or attending live. And so, the story ends and the book closes. I'll see you guys later.

03/10: Kobe vs. LeBron - The Final Chapter: LAKERS vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

CLE 120 LAL 108

The final chapter is in the books. Despite a Cavs win and a Lakers loss, Kobe and LeBron put up one heck of a show in their final head-to-head matchup. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

CLE 95 LAL 82

The most re-occurring theme this quarter: the Cavaliers build up in what looks to be an insurmountable lead, the Lakers rally to keep it close, and the Cavs respond back to extend the lead. That is one observation about the summary of this quarter. Every time the Lakers rally, the Cavs remain firm and build the lead back up. If anything, the Cavs' performance from beyond the arc is what's giving them the edge and that edge still remains heading into the 4th quarter.

Q2:

CLE 64 LAL 55

This is what this game's all about: Kobe vs. LeBron. Throughout this first half, they're giving everything they got. LeBron with his freakish athleticism and power dunks, Kobe with his post up game, footwork, and fadeaway jumper, the two MVPs are turning back the clock in their final meeting. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

CLE 33 LAL 31

Kobe Bryant is pulling everything out of his arsenal for this one last battle against LeBron James. He's off to a good start, accounting for 8 of the Lakers' points and even pulled out some vintage moves, faking out the King himself for an easy layup. It's a competitive game so far even though the Lakers dug themselves a huge hole when Channing Frye got hot for the Cavs, but they've responded well to stay afloat and stay within striking distance of the Cavs' lead.

LAKERS-Cavs Halftime Post

CLE 64 LAL 55

Welcome in to the halftime post for the Lakers' matchup vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers where the Cavs take a 64-55 lead at the half.

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Kobe Bryant, 12 points, 7-10 shooting. You know there was absolutely no way that Kobe's sore shoulder is going to keep him down for his final showdown with LeBron. Bad shoulder at all, the Black Mamba is turning back the clock with some vintage moves in his arsenal against the King, faking him out for a layup, shooting a fadeaway jumper, and shooting a 3 pointer in front of LeBron's face. This is just great that Kobe is pulling off a vintage performance so far.

Marcelo Huertas, 11 points, 5-6 shooting. Once again, Huertas is showing how much his presence is benefiting the other four players around him. I liked the fact he's displaying his aggression as a scorer. He's known for his court vision, however the Cavs are doing a great job getting back on the defense and that opened a lot of opportunities to take a shot and he's hitting them.

(-)

3 point defense. Sunday, the Lakers held the Warriors to just three made shots from beyond the arc. Tonight, they've allowed the Cavs to make 10 shots from beyond the arc. But what can you do when you have a freight train like LeBron running at you? Channing Frye is the beneficiary big time, scoring 16 of the Cavs' points and making 4 of his shots from 3 points. He's absolutely killing the Lakers right now from beyond the arc.

Jordan Clarkson, 1 point, 0-7 shooting. Talk about a rough start for JC. He's been a constant for the Lakers, but there's no denying, he is struggling right now as he missed a couple of good looks and struggled handling the ball.

Bottom Line

By all means, 9 points seems like a big lead, but it's still manageable for this Lakers' team to rally. However, there's no denying that Cleveland's defense is underrated. The Lakers have to find a way to contain the Cavs' 3 point game. They have to stop Channing Frye's hot streak and prevent J.R. Smith and the rest of the Cavs' shooters from catching fire. Bad news for all NBA fans, two more quarters for Kobe vs. LeBron. Let's see what happens.

Lakers Fall to Bulls in Kobe's Final Game in Chicago

Kobe Bryant made a name for himself in Chicago when he matched up against the GOAT (Greatest of All Time), Michael Jordan and 20 seasons later, he bids farewell to Chicago going up against his former teammate and best friend, Pau Gasol. I saw Pau's introduction on SportsCenter and boy, do I sure miss those times. Nonetheless, in his final game, Kobe Bryant racked up 22 points on 8-20 shooting, but Gasol's got the best of him as his 21 point performance helped the Bulls beat the Lakers, 115-126. Three other starters were in double figures last night. Julius Randle had a fantastic game, racking up 22 points and 12 rebounds, Jordan Clarkson added 20 points, and D'Angelo Russell finished with 15 points. Brandon Bass lead all scorers off the bench with 13 points and Lou Williams was the 2nd leading scorer off the bench with 11 points.

Final Score: @ Chicago 115-126 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20160221/LALCHI/gameinfo.html?ls=iref:nba:scoreboard

Highlights:

Next Game: @ Milwaukee (Tonight, 5:00 PM Pacific Time)

Duncan Edges Out Kobe in Final Lakers-Spurs Showdown

The Spurs and Lakers rivalry has brought so many great memories from the regular season to the playoffs. The two players who dominated the rivalry and dominated the 2000's decade, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan, two future hall of famers, battled one last time in Staples Center Friday night and it was a game that signaled an end of an era for those who grew up watching them in their prime. Head-to-head, Kobe Bryant racked up 25 points on 10-25 shooting and Tim Duncan recorded a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds, but the Lakers ultimately fell to the Spurs, 119-113 behind Tony Parker's 25 point performance. Jordan Clarkson was the Lakers' top performer this game with 20 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists, Lou Williams added 21 points, and Julius Randle added a double-double of 11 points and 15 rebounds. Brandon Bass and Nick Young were tied as the leading scorers off the bench as both players finished with 10 points.

Final Score: vs. San Antonio 119-113 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20160219/SASLAL/gameinfo.html?ls=iref:nba:scoreboard

Highlights:

Next Game: @ Chicago (02/21) <= NO Q-by-Q, Halftime, Full Recap Posts 

Kobe, LeBron Battle One Last Time in Cleveland; Lakers Fall to Cavs

The Kobe vs. LeBron debate has divided Lakers fans and Cavs/Heat fans for years, allowing both to engage each other in some bloody battles in the comments section. I was one of those people. Now, that we've hit the present and with LeBron aging and Kobe retiring at the end of the season, these last two games between these two legends should be taken into appreciation. So one last time, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers battled LeBron James and the Cavs in Kobe's final appearance in Cleveland. Kobe finished the game with with 17 points on 5-16 shooting, but LeBron James' 29 point performance, along with Kyrie Irving's 35 point performance helped the Cavs edge out the Lakers 111-120. Lou Williams was the Lakers' top performer this game, scoring 28 points on 9-15 shooting and Jordan Clarkson added 22 points to round out the starters. D'Angelo Russell continues to lead all scorers off the bench, finishing with 15 points and taking a nut shot from a pass attempt from LeBron (yes, I saw the video).

Final Score: @ Cleveland 111-120 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20160210/LALCLE/gameinfo.html?ls=iref:nba:scoreboard

Highlights:

"You gotta always protect the McNuggets." - The Longest Yard

 

Next Game: vs. San Antonio (02/19) 

 

LeBron Outduels Kobe as Lakers Fall to Cavs in Crunch time

Alright welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers’ matchup with the Cavaliers and of course the subtitle of this game that has been dormant for nearly five years, Kobe vs. LeBron. Here in this game, Kobe Bryant played a decent all-around game, setting a new career high in assists, but was totally overshadowed by LeBron’s 36 point outburst in the 2nd half as the Cavs beat the Lakers 109-102.

From 2006-2010, this has been NBA’s marquee matchup. Whenever the Lakers and Cavs battle, there is a strong aura of star power and it revolved around Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. At the peak of their careers, they duked it out to determine who’s the NBA’s true MVP? Was it LBJ23 or KB24? Now, these two lions are getting up there in age and this matchup provided a lot of nostalgia factors, especially in prime time. Now onto the game, this has followed the exact pattern of Blazers matchups, Lakers keep it competitive, someone scores 30+ points, and the Lakers wound up losing the game. That is the current norm right now and with LeBron James’ 36 point performance this game, that trend is continuing and all that effort of hanging in there goes to waste.

The Positives

Kobe Bryant, 19 points, 17 assists, 7-14 shooting. Well, like I mentioned before, Kobe Bryant has set a new career high in assists, surpassing his past mark of 15. He was also a little more cautious when to score and when not to score, but his facilitating was working throughout this game and basically kept the Lakers afloat. His facilitating benefitted Davis, Boozer, Tarik Black, and it especially benefitted Jordan Hill, whom I’ll mention later. Kobe played a clean game, shooting 50%, committing only 3 turnovers, a complete turnaround after a lackluster game Tuesday night against the Heat.

Jordan Hill, 20 points, 10-14 shooting. Hill has got to work on keeping that sweet stroking jump shot consistent once this season is all said and done. All credit goes to Kobe for getting him involved early on. When Kobe drew double teams for Mozgov to come in and help his hand, he manages to find Jordan Hill open literally almost every single time and Hill manages to make every shot. Like I said, the Cavs’ front court is not too impressive, and Hill capitalized on that and managed to play a good game scoring-wise.

The Bench. All I can ask to the Cavs is how could you possibly win a championship with a bench like that? Final statistics, the Laker bench outscored the Cavs bench 42-16 and they were a huge difference maker early on to help the Lakers remain competitive and give them the lead, but once LeBron got going, he outscored the bench big time by himself. But other than that, the bench contributed huge despite some poor shooting by certain players, which I’ll mention right now.

The Negatives

Nick Young, 14 points, 4-13 shooting. Whenever I’m posting up a quick recap and I see that Nick Young is not the typical leading scorer off the bench, obviously something is telling me that his head isn’t right. Ignore the double-figure scoring and look at that shooting statistic. He’s not been shooting the ball the last few games and this game, I can’t even describe it with the way he was struggling to contribute big buckets down the stretch. He’s got to find a way to bring back that swagger back and re-earn that Swaggy P nickname back.

Ryan Kelly, 2 points, 1-6 shooting. I can’t completely bag on R. Kelly considering he’s returning from injury, but he was a little too passive this game and not taking a shot when needed. There was one play where he could’ve made a hook shot and he just passed it right back, I couldn’t remember who, but at times those are the shots someone has to take to get their confidence back in the game after an injury and Kelly only has half of that confidence since his return.

Conclusion

Overall, it could’ve been a decent all-around game for the Lakers with the way Kobe’s facilitating, Jordan Hill’s scoring, and how the bench’s scoring (minus Nick Young’s bricks), but LeBron turned loose in the 2nd half and he and Kyrie Irving bailed the Cavs out big time for them to go to .500. For the Lakers, they have to go to Utah tomorrow night on back-to-back sets, so it’s a given Kobe’s going to sit this one out. Anyway, next game to cover is on the 29th against the Bulls in LA, I’ll see you guys for that game.