Philadelphia also ended a 28-game losing streak, the longest in the history of the four major North American team sports.
Advertisement
Six Philadelphia players scored in double-figures, led by Robert Convington’s 23 points – which included five threes made.
All eyes were actually on the Philadelphia 76ers Tuesday night as Kobe Bryant, who grew up in a suburb just outside of the city, played his final National Basketball Association game at the Wells Fargo Center.
The hero returning to his hometown one final time, Kobe Bryant was greeted by a roaring standing ovation from the Philadelphia crowd as his name was called for starting lineups. The more welcome goodbye gift came before the game in the form of a framed Lower Merion High School basketball jersey.
“Obviously, this is a relief”, Sixers coach Brett Brown said.
I guess I’m just happy that one of my pre-game predictions came true.
“They got me”, Bryant said.
Dabo Swinney says the pizza party he promised will be held at Clemson on Sunday whether the Tigers win or lose the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game on Saturday night.
It was the second game since he announced he would retire at the end of the season, and the aura in the Verizon Center had people questioning if they were in D.C. or Los Angeles. “I would never whine, ‘Oh, you’re being too hard on me, please stop.’ That wouldn’t even sound like me”.
Bryant, who will end his 20-year career this season, opened the first leg of his farewell tour in his hometown and was feted with the kind of reverence and gratitude normally reserved for a Sixers great.
Bryant’s Lakers sink to 2-15, giving them the worst record in the West. They work on breaking a seven-game skid, now tied for a league-worst losing streak with the Denver Nuggets, in Washington on Wednesday night. The three-time NBA MVP, who helped lead the franchise to the 1983 NBA title, died at age 60 on September 13 from cardiovascular disease.
But die-hard Wizards fans may still have a vested interest in catching the game, if only to reminisce over what nearly happened in Bryant’s prime.
Advertisement
The Wizards badly underperformed throughout the early stages of this season, but they belted the best team in the East on its home floor after dropping three of four to the Cavs last season. Wall averaged 14.5 assists to lead the Wizards to a two-game sweep of the season series in 2014-15. Noel keyed the run with six points, and Grant had four.
