Kobe Bryant is MVP for a reason. The amazing Laker superstar was at it again rallying his team from 20 down midway thru the third quarter to a stirring 89-85 come from behind win over the defending champion Spurs in Game One of the Western Conference Final at Staples Center Wednesday night.
After being held to just two points on three first half attempts, Bryant exploded for 25 of his 27 in the second half carrying the Lakers all the way back to a stunning reversal over Tim Duncan and San Antonio. LA trailed 65-45 but then reeled off 14 straight thanks to Kobe heating up and involving teammates. By the end of the third quarter, a once big San Antonio 20-point cushion was down to seven leaving plenty of time for Bryant and the Lakers to complete the turnaround.
Trailing 81-75, the Lakers ran off the next 10 including a strong finish by Lamar Odom which tied it followed by a pair of Bryant free throws for their first lead all night. After another empty Spur possession, the scintillating 29 year-old Philly native hit a 14-footer over Bruce Bowen for a four-point lead with over two minutes left.
The Spurs didn’t go away easily scoring the next four on two Manu Ginobili free throws and a Duncan put back making it 85-85 with 41 ticks remaining. But a determined Kobe wasn’t about to let his team lose dribbling out of a double team before draining a 15-footer to put the top seeded Lakers on top again forcing Gregg Popovich to call for time.
San Antonio went for the three with Tony Parker drawing and kicking to a wide open Ginobili, who fired from the right baseline. But his shot fell short off the rim right to Sasha Vujacic, who iced the game with two freebies for the final margin with 7.3 seconds to go.
“I know I can make that push and I knew once I did, I could get the game back under control, get it under 10 where we knew we could be in striking distance,â€Â the focused Bryant indicated to reporters after finishing 10-of-18 in the second half while handing out a game high nine assists along with five rebounds.
“In the first half, we were a little rusty, a little sluggish and a little tentative. Second half, it wasn’t there. It is big for a young team to come back from 20 against the defending champs.â€
“We almost gave up home-court advantage to a great effort by the Spurs,†Lakers coach Phil Jackson philosophised.
“That was a big comeback. We were deep in the hole, there was no doubt about it. Twenty down and half the quarter gone in the third period. It was a struggle to fight back into the ballgame by the end of the third quarter.â€
“They probably wore us down to some degree, I’m sure,â€Â a disappointed Popovich admitted. “And then, with that, we made very poor decisions. The ball stopped moving. Shots at the end of the clock, no penetration to the rim, all jump shots and they deserve credit for that and they came back and had a hell of a win.â€
This sort of implosion from such an experienced championship team was kind of stunning. You just don’t expect the Spurs to come apart like that. They never were able to get it together forcing bad shots. Twice in crunch time, sub Ime Udoka took ill advised shots which weren’t even close. The ball should’ve been in either Parker, Duncan or Ginobili’s hands even if the latter had an quiet game finishing with just 13 on an ineffective 3-of-13 shooting including 2-for-6 from downtown.
Credit must go out to the Lakers for the kind of D they played really ratcheting it up when they needed it most. Pau Gasol had 19 points, seven boards, three assists, two blocks and two steals. Odom only totaled eight but did have that big tying score from in close.
The Laker bench outscored the Spurs 21-11 getting 10 from Vujacic and eight from Jordan Farmar who helped key the run which got them back in it with Kobe staying out there instead of resting. A gamble from Jackson which paid dividends.
The Spurs lost despite a double/double (30 and 18) from Duncan along with four rejections. Parker also had a solid night notching 18 points, 10 boards and dropping six dimes.
It will be interesting to see how San Antonio reacts to such a tough defeat. Game Two is tomorrow night in Hollywood.
Later tonight, the Celtics try to make it 2-for-2 on their home floor against the Pistons. They’ve yet to lose at TD Northbank Garden in the playoffs taking a perfect 9-0 record into Game Two of the Eastern Conference Final. The Pistons will be looking for a sharper game from Chauncey Billups, who only had nine the other night with two assists in his return from a groin injury suffered last round against Orlando. He and Rasheed Wallace will be huge keys if they’re to steal homecourt.
 
