Kobe Bryant finally got the help needed to propel the Los Angeles Lakers to victory on Tuesday night. Nick Young returned to the floor in the first game of a three-game road trip against the Atlanta Hawks.
— Have You Seen These LIMITED EDITION “Try Me” T-Shirts? —
Many expected Young to show a little rust in his return, but the veteran guard/forward had 17 points and five rebounds in his season debut. After the win, Kobe talked about Swaggy P’s performance via Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
Kobe on Nick Young's performance tonight (1/2): "Played phenomenal. It's a testament to his work ethic."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) November 19, 2014
Kobe continuing on Nick Young: "It's hard when you have an injury to stay in shape & he didn't look tired at all." (on @TWCSportsNet)
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) November 19, 2014
Through the first 10 games of the season, the Lakers didn’t have another scorer who could create his own shot which forced Kobe to take it upon himself. As a result, Kobe averaged nearly 24 shots a game and was on pace for his worst shooting percentage of his career.
With the return of Young, there was more balance on both ends of the court and it enabled Kobe to rest at the start of the fourth quarter where he eventually was able to close out the game. After the second win of the season, the Lakers face the Houston Rockets on the second night of a back-to-back.
[divide]Kobe, ‘Things Go Good, It’s Us. Things Go Bad, It’s Me’
