Led by Kobe Bryant’s 31 points (11-23 from the field, 9-10 from the free throw line), eight assists, and seven rebounds, the Los Angeles Lakers easily took care of the Minnesota Timberwolves last night in a 104-85 victory.
Unsure if he would even play after suffering a broken nose and mild concussion during Sunday night’s All-Star game, Bryant put to rest any concerns over his condition and absolutely dominated the game. To prevent further injury to his nose, Kobe wore a plastic protective mask which officially garnered him the nickname “Masked Mamba” throughout the game.
As for Minnesota, All-Star Kevin Love was out due to flu-like symptoms, leaving the other Wolves to fend for themselves.
The Lakers jumped out to an early lead (26-18) by the end of the first quarter, led by Bryant’s 10 points, three rebounds, and two assists as well as scoring from each of the Lakers’ five starters.
The second quarter featured two big plays from Andrew Bynum. The first was a quick spin move and powerful dunk resulting in an “and-1” play which even got Kobe up off the bench in approval of the sequence. (It looks as though Bynum was saying something to the effect of “I attacked fast and strong just like the ‘Kobe System’ says” to which Kobe simply replied “You’re welcome.”) The second was a lob play from Steve Blake off of a pick-and-roll which resulted in another thunderous dunk over two defenders for Bynum. Blake also had a big second quarter, dropping in eight points on 3-5 shooting (2-4 from three-point range). The Lakers remained ahead, 50-44 at halftime.
The Lakers came out with a purpose in the third quarter, and absolutely dominated the Timberwolves behind Bryant’s 14 points and Pau Gasol’s 11 in the period. Gasol didn’t necessarily get a lot of touches, but he remained aggressive in transition and on the offensive glass which resulted in big plays for the Lakers, who outscored Minnesota by 18 in the quarter to lead 83-59 going into the fourth.
The fourth quarter belonged mostly to the reserves, although the starters (minus Derek Fisher) returned to the game with six minutes left in the game despite the Lakers being up by 19. Bryant made a few more brilliant plays, and went back to the bench as the Lakers went on to win, 104-85.
After Bryant, Pau Gasol was the second highest scorer for the Lakers, earning 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Andrew Bynum had an even double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds, and looked explosive after receiving an injection in his knee which contained a synthetic lubricant. Matt Barnes was his usual energetic self, adding nine points and eight rebounds (four offensive). Steve Blake (two steals) and Metta World Peace each contributed eight points and five assists, while Derek Fisher (three assists) and Troy Murphy (six rebounds) had seven points apiece. Andrew Goudelock, Jason Kapono, and Luke Walton each scored two points in garbage time.
For the Timberwolves, Michael Beasley (six rebounds) and Martell Webster led the way with 14 points apiece, followed by 12 points and nine rebounds by Anthony Randolph. Derrick Williams and Nikola Pekovic each had 10 points and seven rebounds, while Luke Ridnour scored eight points. Ricky Rubio had nine assists, three rebounds and three points, and Wes Johnson scored five points as no other T-Wolf scored more than four.
Now, let’s break down the victory.
Next Page: The Breakdown
Rebounds – We seem to analyze the rebounding numbers after every game, and today is no different. The Lakers had the advantage last night, 48-44, but were out-rebounded on the offensive glass, 12-9. With Kevin Love, who averages 13.8 rebounds per game, out due to an illness, the Lakers should have really dominated the boards. However, with the huge score discrepancy, we’ll let it slide this one time.
Bench – The bench was outscored 49-30, but still performed relatively well. For this Lakers team, the bench isn’t expected to score much; especially behind the “Big Three.” However, the bench gave contributions in the form of Steve Blake, Matt Barnes, and Troy Murphy at times. Blake scored all eight of his points in second quarter, and finished the game with five assists. Barnes’ endless hustle (as demonstrated with four offensive rebounds Wednesday night) is always a huge plus for the Lakers’ bench, and Murphy’s solid shooting (3-5 from the field, including one three-pointer last night) helps spread the floor.
First Game Back – Coming off a five day break as a result of the All-Star game, the Lakers looked sharp. This is exactly how they needed to play last night, as an up-and-down first half of the season has sparked endless trade rumors and debate over the state of the Lakers. Coming out “rusty,” especially against an under-manned Minnesota team simply would not have been acceptable for Lakers’ fans. They looked fresh, and put away the Timberwolves away at home just the way they should have. Metta World Peace played well, even dishing out five assists. Hopefully for Metta (and Lakers fans), he can find a rhythm throughout the second half of the season; last night would be a great place to start. Pau Gasol also played well. Although he often struggles when he doesn’t get the amount of touches he would like, Gasol found a way to be effective in the third quarter, scoring 11 points mainly via offensive rebounds and transition basketball.
The Black (Masked) Mamba – We all take Kobe Bryant for granted, whether we know it or not. It could be his flawless footwork, his complete submergence into the game, his attention to detail and study of the game, his tenacity, or his toughness, but we all subconsciously take his greatness for granted from time to time. He definitely spoils us, but sometimes we have to step back and truly acknowledge what we are all witnessing, and what we have witnessed in the past.
There have been countless injuries or other situations in which Bryant could have opted to sit out and get some rest, yet he continually proves to be one of toughest players to ever play the game and is as eager to play now as he was when he was a 17-year-old rookie. Last night was no different, as he played despite a recently fractured nose and concussion. The man simply loves to play, and gives 100 percent in each game. That is one trait of Bryant’s that can never be refuted.
It’s just just about playing through injuries, either. Even other superstars have been in situations where they were not happy and in turn were not fully involved mentally during a stretch of games. This seems to be the opposite for Bryant, as when he is faced with adversity, he seemingly wills himself to play even better.
Between 2004-2007, Bryant was left in a tough situation without adequate talent around him to compete for a championship. Although he demanded a trade at one point, his on-court performance never suffered, as he averaged 31.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game during that stretch, including a number of record breaking performances (81-point game, four games in a row of 50-plus points, which also included two 60-plus point performances, etc). How often do you hear of a player not playing well because “he’s not happy right now” with his situation? Too often, compared with Bryant’s standards.
That’s one aspect of his greatness that we will all miss one day when he retires, therefore we should all stop and appreciate it from time to time.
Last night was a great way to begin the second half of the season, and hopefully the Lakers can maintain their focus and build some momentum going forward. With Kobe Bryant leading the way, it’s a good bet that they will.