Where Kobe missing the game-winner happens.
by Holly MacKenzie / @stackmack
Oh boy. It sure is going to feel like Monday in a few hours. I’ve got to keep this one short today. The Lakers/Raptors game took about everything out of me. Wow. I’m so, so, so spoiled here in Toronto with my fellow media members that I’m used to. We know each other, we work well with/around each other and we have more than enough space to operate.
With L.A. in town, there were like 10 traveling wrters with them (I’m seriously not exaggerating), and extra tv people, cameramen, you name it. It was a zoo! The funniest part was that the L.A. people were not phased in the least because they see this every game.
It was wild.
The Lakers just have a buzz that surrounds them. Somehow, someway, the Raptors outbuzzed them on Sunday night and got the 106-105 victory. Definitely their biggest win of the season, they chipped away at a 10-poit deficit in the third quarter and fought LA throughout the forth, finally escaping victorious after Kobe Bryant missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
And, boy, what a miss it was.
Bobbling the ball with 1.2 seconds remaining, he still manages to get a good look and great shot off. Antoine Wright said it hit every part of the basket before rimming out. It looked good from everywhere in the arena according to everyone that I spoke to.
It was the kind of shot you expect Kobe to make. It was the kind of win that the Raptors will try to continue building off of.
Kobe was brilliant in the loss with 27 points, a career-high 16 rebounds and nine assists. Pau and Andrew Bynum pulled down nine rebounds apiece and scored 22 and 21 points respectively. Jordan Farmar scored 17 off of the bench.
The Raptors countered with their aggressiveness on the offensive end, resulting in their 26 free throw attempts as compared to the nine that LA attempted.
Jarrett Jack had another strong game for the Raptors (and is still slotted in as the starting point guard), finishing with 18 points. Chris Bosh also had 18 points to go with 13 rebounds and Andrea Bargnani had 22 points in his return from missing a game due to a sore lower back. Hedo Turkoglu saved the day after going 1-for-6 from the floor for the game. Driving to the hoop and getting fouled by Pau with 1.2 seconds remaining, he hit two free throws to give the Raps the one-point lead. His free throws would end up being the final points scored in the game.
Amazing that it would be Turkoglu to finish off the Lakers –well, technically, Kobe finished off LA when his shot was off the mark, because everyone thought he had it– when he was getting booed just this past Friday evening against Milwaukee.
The Clippers came to Washington and took down the Wizards, 92-78. Marcus Camby had another strong game, finishing with 12 points and 19 rebounds. Love seeing him play well. And be healthy.
The Mavs played the Knicks at the Garden and, well, really they didn’t play at all. They kind of allowed Dallas to roll all over them, losing by 50 –yes, 50– points. 128-78. It was the words loss to ever take place in MSG. In one word: Ugly It also happened without Jason Kidd. JJ Barea started for the Mavs and scored 11 points, but it was rookie R. Beaubois who made me smile, finishing with 13 on the afternoon. Drew Gooden had 15 points to go with his 18 boards. The Mavs shot 58 percent for the game. Gooden was a +41 in the game.
It was silly.
I’m just happy I was there to watch the Raptors/Lakers game. It was a battle throughout the second half and if you got to see it, I’m sure you’d agree that it was a good game.
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