If the Lakers can frustrate Howard and get him in foul trouble, they should be able to have their way in the paint against the frontcourt of the Rockets.
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“We’ll see what the fans and the coaches decide, and then we’ll go from there”, Silver added. “We’ve got to give guys credit for accepting responsibility of where we were and accepting responsibility and putting responsibility on themselves that they had to do something to change it”. Donatas Motiejunas, Harden and Patrick Beverley each made a 3-pointer to cap the key stretch. Guard Marcus Thornton paced the reserves with 18 points as Houston (12-12) totaled 55 bench points and won for the seventh time in nine games to lift its record back to.500.
“It’s been insane, man. It’s been different, being on the road and experiencing [that]”, Bryant said in Houston at his postgame press conference. “I just worked and continued to run and lift and just hoped for the best”.
Countless arenas who despise the Lakers will now show up en masse sporting Kobe Bryant jerseys as the Black Mamba takes to their courts for a final tip-off. Seeing Bryant unable to suit up, simply because he went too hard in an exhibition game, would be a dismal ending to an otherwise fantastic career.
“That’s a legend. This is his previous year out”, said Harden, who wore the first sneakers Adidas issued when Bryant represented the shoe company. “It was like that every year all the time – [chants of] ‘Ko-be, Ko-be!’ Now this is his last year, so obviously it’s a little more electric, but it’s always been like that”. I guess these are the same fans that in a few weeks will be Cavs fans when LeBron comes to town. “I put him up there right below Michael Jordan as the two greatest scorers I’ve ever seen probably in the history of this game”. There were huge ovations on every Lakers’ basket and even “air ball” chants when Leonard badly missed his first 3-point attempt.
With Bryant playing the role of facilitator – he had five of the Lakers’ first seven assists – Los Angeles raced to a 25-21 lead following a transition layup from Russell with 3:33 left in the first quarter.
Terrence Jones made a layup at the end of the third after Corey Brewer blocked a shot by Bryant, giving the Rockets a 91-76 advantage. Los Angeles struggled with turnovers once again, coughing up the rock 19 times for 35 Houston fast break points.
Houston star Dwight Howard scored six straight points to end the first half, highlighted by a soaring, two-handed dunk after a steal.
Clarkson has another chance to face the Spurs in San Antonio this season when the Lakers return February 6.
Bryant scored 11 points in the second quarter to raucous celebration, spearheading a 13-0 run that cut the deficit to nine. Rockets F Trevor Ariza (bruised lower back) returned to the starting lineup after having his streak of 173 consecutive games played snapped in Washington on Wednesday. Ty Lawson was feeling better after recovering from the flu….
Harden wanted to do something to honor Bryant on Saturday night, so he donned special shoes for the occasion.
Kobe Bryant and D’Angelo Russell had the Los Angeles Lakers off to a hot start against the Houston Rockets, but ultimately the team’s poor defense, lack of depth, and puzzling rotations combined to result in a 126-97 loss in the final game of their eight game road trip.
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“I have no idea”, Scott said.
