He missed his first five shots and started one for nine before hitting back-to-back three-pointers in the third quarter.
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The Lakers continue to receive up-and-down games from their expected future stars in this transitional season.
ATLANTA Al Horford scored 16 points, Paul Millsap and Kent Bazemore each added 15 as the Hawks beat Los Angeles to spoil Kobe Bryant’s last game in Atlanta.
I know this is a lot of points for the Hawks to be laying, but they just can’t afford to slip up and let the Lakers hang around.
For a man who has known nothing but basketball his entire life, Abdul-Jabbar’s poem is full of poignant advice for Bryant.
“It’s like Michael Jackson’s coming to town or something like that”, Randle said. “I was like, ‘Nah, school night.’ So he hinted to me that he wanted to see them, so I was able to bring them and have a cool moment”. As it turns out, he found out during the middle of a game when Bryant abruptly informed him.
Bryant was struggling – and it showed in his game. He gave the Lakers five championships in seven trips to the NBA Finals.
D’Angelo Russell had 16 points and 10 assists for the Lakers, who dropped to 3-16, worst in the Western Conference and second-worst overall. Lou Williams stayed in the game because of his 18 points on a 6-of-13 clip off the bench.
So the jokes have already started about the young Lakers stealing shoes, jerseys and other memorabilia from Bryant as keepsakes from his goodbye tour. Atlanta led by as many as 19 points in the first half but saw that trimmed to just four points with six minutes left to go in the game.
Jordan Clarkson, the eldest of the three Lakers juniors, has the most at stake.
The Lakers have 30 remaining road games in the regular season. Unfortunately, that was the best part of his evening as the Lakers have yet to put together a two-game winning streak during Bryant’s swan song in the National Basketball Association. In the last few days, he said he feels great. Bryant could have another supportive crowd in Atlanta, where the home fans just watched their team squander a 17-point, third-quarter lead. I’ve got to cut them down.’ He said, ‘That’s good, coach. “I just wish him well”. But not like Bryant’s last appearance.
Not every arena will be as electric as Philadelphia and, to a surprising degree, Washington.
The visiting Lakers would battle valiantly with the hosting Hawks down the stretch in the final 12 minutes of play.
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Bryant was hoping to enjoy it all regardless. “I am concerned about his shooting percentage and his shot so far, but as far as knowing him the way I know him, and how long he’s played in this league, I’m not anxious about him finding it”, Scott further noted.
