Kobe Bryant went 2-20 against a depleted New Orleans Hornets team before scoring the game-winning three with 20.2 showing on the clock. According to NBATV, it was the fourth-worst shooting night of Kobe’s career (on over 10 attempts)… but he came through in the end. He was yet to scratch at the start of the fourth quarter (0-15), but he did manage to go 3-6 from that point on. Andrew Bynum gave Bryant’s detractors an assist by scoring his 19 points on 7-10. The only part of this that I really found interesting was a comment made by Kobe after the game. When asked if fatigue has anything to do with his recent struggles, Kobe said the following: “Fatigue might have something to do with it, but I had good shots… It’s probably the schedule. The schedule is a little crazy. But, I’m fine.”
That answer definitely caught me by surprise. I expected the “I’m fine” without the “fatigue might have something to do with it.” He’s simply never been the type to admit that something, whether it be an injury or any other possible problem, is getting to him. I’ve listened and observed as he’s shrugged off everything from knee problems to court cases. I guess the dude is tired. It makes sense… he’s third in the league in minutes and played 17 games in the month of March. He’s about to play five more in seven nights, so we’ll have to see how that goes.
As one LA team struggles, the other thrives. The Clippers, who had looked dreadful for the majority of March, won their 5th in a row last night. They jumped on the Jazz early and won fairly handily (105-96), despite Chris Paul being forced to leave a five-point game with eight minutes to go in the third. Paul had his funny bone whacked by Devin Harris and was unable to check back in until the fourth quarter… but he returned to a 17-point lead. Credit Blake Griffin for stepping up and scoring six consecutive points as soon as Paul left the floor. I thought the first couple minutes after Paul’s exit made up the most important stretch of the game. The Clippers tend to rely on Paul to do just about everything if the score is close, but Blake Griffin, Eric Bledsoe, and Randy Foye were able to make this thing a double-digit game. The three of them combined for 48 points, including all field goals scored by the Clipps while CP was waiting for his right arm to come back to life.
The Jazz have fallen two games behind the Nuggets and the Rockets in the loss column with just 13 to play. If they go on to miss the playoffs I’m going to call Friday night’s home loss to Sacramento the pivotal moment of their season. Remember, they lost that game on a pair of calls that, quite honestly, were not correct. That’s not an excuse to come out flat the following night, but that’s exactly what happened. The Jazz typically thrive in Salt Lake City, and to suffer such a frustrating defeat against an inferior opponent… I can see that leaving a lasting mark on their morale.
Matt Bonner, Tim Duncan, and Tony Parker in high socks? This happened yesterday. Inspired by Manu Ginobili’s new buzz cut, the Chaps skated past the Pacers 112-103. Now that Ginobili is rid of the remnants of his hair and Stephen Jackson is in full effect (8 points last night), there are multiple things to like about the Spurs. Never thought I’d say that.
The Charlotte Bobcats are now 1-21 without Corey “MVP” Maggette. What a hilarious coincidence. Unlike Maggette, who missed Saturday’s 107-110 overtime loss to the Pistons, Gerald Henderson gets no love from the officials… at least not last night. I suppose he didn’t do himself any favors–he missed a point-blank layup to win it at the end of regulation–but Hendo was robbed of a beautiful block on a Greg Monroe dunk attempt with 19 seconds to go in OT. Like I said, Henderson didn’t do himself any favors… he’d just missed a free throw that would’ve tied the game… but still, that block would’ve gotten the Cats the ball back down just one. Instead, a phantom foul was conjured and they trailed by three. Five seconds later, Henderson got tripped up by Monroe and no foul was called. The only person madder than Henderson was Joe Dumars, ’cause the Pistons just leapfrogged the Kings.
Speaking of the Kings, they allowed 91 points to the Nets… in three quarters. New Jersey only averages 93 a game, but they were able to drop 111 in this 12-point victory. Deron Williams led the attack with 19 points and 15 assists, but that’s hardly as funny as John Petro scoring 12 in 18 minutes. DeMarcus Cousins, who finished with 14 points on 4-12, was completely stifled by the dominant Petro, who started in place of Shelden Williams. Surprisingly, the Nets have now won four of their last five. Says Avery Johnson: “It’s rare being in this stratosphere.”
The bad news out of New York is that Jeremy Lin is done for the season. He’s got a torn meniscus and will be forced to undergo surgery. The good news, if you’re a Knicks fan, is that they just beat the Cleveland Cavaliers. Well, not really. They beat Donald Sloan, Luke Walton, and Lester Hudson. JR Smith exploded for 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter. I actually saw him take the ball to the basket on once occasion, resulting in an and-one finish. I would say the Knicks will need more of that, but it looks like the Bucks are going to self destruct anyway. Milwaukee melted down in the second half as they lost to the Grizzlies 95-99. Brandon Jennings had given them a four-point lead with an individual 6-2 run to end the second quarter, but the Bucks fell back behind as they went scoreless for a near-five-minute stretch of the third quarter. Monta Ellis had another shockingly-rough game… he managed just 8 points as he shot 2-12 and turned the ball over 3 times. I’ve seen Monta have his off nights, but he was missing fast-break layups in this game. It was a little weird.
Elton Brand sighting. The Old-school Chevy dropped a season-high 25 points (plus 10 boards and five assists) to lead the sliding Sixers past the Hawks. Brand made 10 of 12 shots, including 5 of 6 in the fourth quarter. The Hawks had no answer for him, but the Sixers had no answer for Josh Smith, either. Smith turned in one of his best games of the season, scoring 34 points on just 18 shots, but ATL got little to nothing from the rest of the roster. Credit Andre Iguodala for making things pretty difficult for Joe Johnson. JJ shot a solid 7-13, but he had to take a multitude of tough shots and was limited to 15 points. He was unable to get to the free-throw line because Iggy did a great job of keeping him away from the basket. Considering his defensive effort and the 18 points he contributed at the other end I’d say Iguodala was the player of the game. He even managed to connect on an important three-pointer in the fourth quarter. Exceptional showing from Iggy.
This was a huge win for Philly, by the way. They’re back to within a half game of Boston for the Atlantic Division lead, and the Celtics see Miami today. Whichever team wins the division will have a chance at advancing to the second round while the other faces certain death at the hands of the Heat.
Notes: The Kings have signed Terrence Williams for the rest of the season. Smart move, he’s been playing pretty well. Chris Paul failed to come up with a steal last night, ending his streak of 61 consecutive regular-season games with at least one swipe. In winning their fifth game in a row the Clipps swept a five-game home stand for the first time since 1979. I’ll be attending this afternoon’s Celtics/Heat game.
Highlight Recap, Chris Paul Edition: It’s a shame Jamaal Tinsley got a DNP in this game. Had he played we probably would’ve seen at least two moves of this caliber…
