Thursday, March 7th, 2013 at 9:30 am  |  49 responses

Kobe Bryant Leads Huge Lakers Comeback vs Hornets (VIDEO)

Mamba refuses to let L.A. lose.

The Los Angeles Lakers staged a furious comeback in New Orleans last night—at one point they were down by as many as 25 points. Kobe Bryant (42 points, 12 assists and 7 rebounds) led the way, and got big-time help from Dwight Howard (20 points, 15 rebounds) and a red-hot Jodie Meeks (19 points) off the bench. Per the LA Times: “The Lakers might have finally found something in their goofiest twist yet, their largest comeback since 2002 with a 108-102 victory Wednesday at New Orleans Arena. All it took was a 20-0 run to end the game, amid 12 consecutive missed Hornets shots and five New Orleans turnovers in the final six minutes. Yes, it was against the woeful Hornets, but had there been a happier Lakers locker room all season? Doubtful. Did it get even more cheerful with many, many eyes watching a locker-room TV for the climax of the Houston-Dallas game? Absolutely. Somewhere, Utah wasn’t smiling, its lead over the Lakers down to 11/2 games for the West’s eighth and final playoff spot. Seventh-place Houston is now only two games ahead of the Lakers (31-31). In a development that would make the West’s upper crust shift a bit in comfy playoff-bound chairs, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard looked formidable at the same time. It took 62 games, give or take a false alarm here and there, but Bryant dominated on offense (42 points, 14-for-21 shooting, 12 assists) while Howard had 20 points, 15 rebounds, four blocked shots and three steals. ‘We complemented each other extremely well,’ Bryant said. ‘I directed us offensively tonight and he did his thing defensively for us. He just said, ‘To hell with it. I’m just going to dominate the game on the glass. I’m going to dominate the game defensively.’ So of course, Howard must have been prodded by Bryant. ‘He brought himself along. I didn’t do anything,’ Bryant said quickly. ‘That’s a conscious decision he made.’ [...] ‘We’re certainly much tougher now than we were at the beginning of the season,’ Bryant said. ‘But adversity does that. It can do one of two things. If you have a weaker mind, it’ll break you. But if you decide to let it build you up, make you stronger, then that’s what happens.’ Yet Bryant couldn’t completely puff up the night as a career keepsake. It was only New Orleans, after all. ‘If I’ve got to remember this game years from now, my career’s got issues,’ he said, laughing.”

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  • http://www.facebook.com/MIZEV21 Michael Z. Evangelista

    veno?

  • http://www.facebook.com/MIZEV21 Michael Z. Evangelista

    ‘in-bound’ play of the year lol!!

  • Jay Cutler

    The pelicans literally didn’t know which hoop they were defending on that last play

  • Max

    Appreciate it while it lasts people!
    And what the hell where the Pelicans doing at that inbounds play?

  • Drig

    That inbounds play is gonna end up becoming a tutorial on how not to defend in clutch time lol. The hell were they even doing defending on the Lakers basket lol?

    Anyways, masterful performance from KB. Games like this make me believe him when he says he could get 40 point games whenever he wants. Might not be as efficient though……

  • patreick

    that inbounds play was retarded? why were all the lakers in the backcourt first of all? usually teams go into the opponents side on an inbounds like that..weird

  • RKJ92

    Kobe: oooo my elbow my elbowww :’( goes for 42-7-12 — GET OUTTA HERE, this guy is ridiculous! always trying to make people think he’s injured and can play through anything when he’s not like c’mon that’s the last straw with me..

  • AndyK415

    Someone please explain what the Pelicans were doing in that in-bounds play?

  • RayJr

    Get over it. He is probably injured but if he’s not a lot of players do that. For example, Paul Pierce faked a knee injury in the Finals against the Lakers and came back like nothing happened.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    They were trying to catch NOH off guard….which they did. Every NOH player was literally sticking to their man for some reason. Why weren’t at least 2 players on the Hornets hovering around on their side of the court?

  • http://www.facebook.com/jay.brodes Jay Brodes

    kobe is going to win the scoring title and i have to agree with greg anthony…it sounds crazy but mamba should win mvp! i aint hating on lebron but without him the heat would still be a 1 seed. no mamba and the lakers would not even be a .500 team as crazy as it sounds!

  • Drig

    When you actually think about the injuries Kobe has played with in the past and has been playing with ( 1 arthritic finger, a broken finger and at times a dislocated one , knee injuries etc. ) and the way he has still managed to be productive and “Kobe” despite them all, it isn’t all that ridiculous to think that an elbow wouldn’t get in the way of him being at his best once he gets used to it.

    He’s proved that he can be effective despite injuries that would’ve sidelined/rendered other players ineffective. Superstars even.

  • RKJ92

    No, just no. Idc what argument you give me this is just bs, he is “always” injured and when he loses he blames his injuries, or throws his teamates under the bus, and when he wins he’s “fighting through a ridiculous amount of pain” like I said.. that’s the last straw like he just lies through his teeth, its like constant horse sh*t flowing out of his mouth.. ridiculous..

  • robb

    you don’t actually know what the guy’s going through, you’re just assuming. So shut up.

  • MasterSplinter

    your just bitter because only in Toronto, can somebody in this era give up 81 points to one player.

  • RKJ92

    You actually think I care about that? I thought it was an amazing performance.. but THIS has nothing to do with THAT, so why you commenting non-sense? you 5?

  • RKJ92

    I don’t respect pp either I call him mr.glass, cries over everything.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    he’s such a mutant.

  • RKJ92

    Ok I don’t know? See REAL injuries where you REHAB, you NEED time to recover from them.. nobody, and I mean NOBODY plays through sh*t Kobe hypes up for a good 12 years see anybody else with those injuries and their out indeffinate. Your gonna claim Kobe is superman now? that he’s indestructable? Why dlckride so hard? where does it get you? might as well just be honest, the dudes full of himself, and lies constantly..
    RKJ92 OUT. (you dlckriders will probably enjoy that one)

  • Slick Ric

    Wonder what the Kobe haters are going to say now, You cant get much more efficient than that.

  • http://www.slamonline.com/ Nick Tha Quick

    It never fails. There’s always someone who thinks he knows so much better than the player or the team’s medical staff just how badly a player is injured. Probably would have called out Shaun Livingston for faking his lower leg injury few years ago.

  • LeroyShonuff

    Your thought process is extremely flawed. You bash Kobe for showing emotion because of his injuries yet offer no praise for him playing through it? He put off surgery on his finger, sought out radical treatment for his knee, and still plays 80-82 games a year? Sir, you are a hating critic

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Junior-Taylor/100003121138419 Junior Taylor

    You know I have heard some crazy sh*t in my days but this one takes the cake. So a guy on a .500 team should win MVP? WoW

  • LakeShow

    lol

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    no, he definitely should not win MVP. it sounds crazy, because it is crazy.

  • LakeShow

    42 points on 21 shots… Not bad.
    Throw in the 12 assists and the dude accounted for over 85+ points of the Lakers lol…

  • LakeShow

    lol, you gotta love the haters. They are truly laughable sometimes.

  • Thebigsham27

    It’s like they just won a championship the way Kobes talking about overcoming adversity. One question- how did you get down 25 against the worst f&€king team in the NBA and two why did your two best players have to have incredible nights to beat them? They’ll make the playoffs and get bounced in the first round-no matter how far Kobe sticks out his jaw.

  • bike

    I’m guessing one of the Lakers farted right before that inbounds play.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    I don’t know about that. Lebron is shouldering as heavy of a load as Kobe is, and his team is the best in the conference with Bron . Plus, Lebron is contributing on both sides of the floor more so than KB24. The award is Lebron’s to lose for 2-3 more years.

  • http://www.facebook.com/evan.boland Evan Boland

    Only one player in the L can put together performances like that. Mamba.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    The context of his quote was in regards to the season in general. Adversity in the NBA is different for different teams, and for the Lakers its dealing with the fact that they’re not winning as much as they thought they would. They could have rolled over and gave up on a road game yesterday, but they clawed back with only 7 minutes left in the game – it was a remarkable comeback and hopefully a turning point in pushing them into the playoffs.

    BTW, there is a realistic chance that the Lakers could even catch the 6th seed by the end of the season.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=509819249 Gaurav P.

    Not going to address everything you said, but Gary Vitti (Lakers medical trainer), as well as PJ and other sources have consistently said that Kobe has an unbelievably high pain tolerance – like really really high. I mean, the dude played through the 2009 Finals with an altered shooting form due to mangled fingers and was still extremely productive.

    And its not just recently, Kobe has played through wrist injuries, ankle injuries, etc, since even the first 3 peat.

    It needs to be stated that other players do it too – off the top, I know Rondo, KG, etc. have played through injury as well. Because of Kobe’s star power and the fact that he’s done it quite a bit since he came in the league, its more noticeable.

    I’m still most impressed by him playing through a wrist injury last year.

  • RKJ92

    I love how every Laker fan decides to play band of brothers, as soon as I start calling out there god lololol so cute, and my thought process isn’t flawed its on point.. has he been injured? yes. Is he ALWAYS injured like he claims Helllllll NO.. don’t even go there with me.

  • RKJ92

    Omgg your so naive it makes me sick to my stomach.. ofc he’s been injured like every player.. but to the amount he claims it’s outrageous

  • RKJ92

    I’m not a hater, I love kobe’s game when he’s unselfish and playing to the best of his abilities, does that mean I have to respect the ish’ that comes out his mouth, and how he embellishes his injuries no.

  • LakeShow

    Hmm, strange I don’t remember you saying a single positive thing about him ever.

  • RKJ92

    Are you dumb? that Shaun Livingston injury was disgusting.. your saying I can’t call out a player that claims to be injured whenever he’s losing, or embellishes it when he wins? your saying I’m the only one who thinks this? you know how many people I know that agree with what I’m saying that doesn’t live in LA or dickride Kobe.

  • RKJ92

    Look a kobe worshipper actually downed your comment lol! its crazy how many there are! you say something relevant and they just refuse to believe it..

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    it could just be one of my fans. getting downvoted is my new harlem shake video.

  • RKJ92

    LOL haha, too funny

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000285574475 Sergito Arriaga

    when players are dealing with the same injuries, they all deal with it differently. It’s all mental. All you have to look at is Bynum and Oden getting the same knee treatment in germany as kobe got. Look at where they at now.

    Another example is derrick rose tearing his ACL in april 29,2012 and Ricky Rubio tearing his ACL a month before. Same injury for both players. Rubio has already played 33 games this season and Rose has not played one game this season is about to shut it down till next season. Kobe is as tough as they come a la willis reed. No injury can penetrate him mentally.

  • RKJ92

    Kobe’s also not 7ft tall and 300 pounds, and Rubio was injured before Derrick Rose, your a genious!!

  • RKJ92

    I just praised his 81 point preformance above against MY OWN team none the less, I just don’t agree with some of the things he does.. that doesn’t make me a hater because I appreciate his talents and I’m happy to have been able to grow up watching him, I’m allowed to be opinionated though

  • KingBenjamin

    When has Kobe ever blamed his injuries? He’s never said “I played awful because I’m injured” or “We lost because I’m not a 100%”, never has that happened. Kobe Bryant doesn’t fake injuries he’s not Vince Carter.

    BTW, you’re an idiot and you’re a Toronto Raptors fan LOL, GTFO.

  • Chukaz

    I don’t think he wins the scoring title (those assists heavy games really killed his chances). I’m as big a kobe fan and supporter as there is, but nobody deserves that MVP more than LeBron James (and i HATE the guy). Kobe’s gonna retire with a single MVP trophy. All those years with Shaq and those years were he was a one man team really killed the possibility of multiple MVPs.

  • Sérgio

    Obviously Kobe shoudn’t be MVP, but he is carrying a heavier load than Lebron. C’mon, man, the Heat have two top 15 players in Wade and Bosh and a GREAT supporting cast in Battier, Haslem, Allen, Chalmers, Miller, Lewis and Birdman. In my opinion, this is the best roster in the League. They would be a pretty good team even without Bron.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000285574475 Sergito Arriaga

    who cares if he’s not 7 feet tall. They had the same procedure done and Kobe has a thousand more miles on his knees than both of those players combine. Your sarcasm makes you look like a fool debating.

  • Lloyd

    Stop. Kobe’s 35 years old, been active for 18 seasons, including playoffs and Olympic teams, and is still in the top ten for MPG this season. Dude’s probably played the most basketball out of all the players in the league at this point at an extremely high level. You don’t think that takes a toll on your body? He’s always going to be feeling something and he does play through it. And answering a question when a reporter asks isn’t a bad thing. Stop calling everyone that disagrees with you a mindless Kobe/Laker fan. You’re coming off as a severe hater and frankly, making Raps fans look bad.

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