Ex-Laker Sticks Dagger through Byrant’s Heart
Lakers drop second away game thanks to Rush clutch shot
ABOVE: Kareem Rush (4) hits it from downtown to win the match
6 Nov, Charlotte – For the second straight game in a week, the Lakers lost by a three point margin on the road. Kareem Rush scored the killer trey with only 1.1 ticks left on the court to finish with 16 points and win the game. Kobe Bryant caught the ball on the run and went for a potential tying shot which fell short like it did in Chicago a few nights ago. Bryant who finished with 30, 5, 7 and 3 steals knelt on the court near where he shot and lied down.
Reporters ran up to him and interviewed him on the court but only got him to say, “Why can’t we win?” before they were ushered off the court by security. Bryant later escaped through a back door after quickly getting changed. Lamar Odom spoke for Bryant, “Kobe’s just a little bit disappointed by the result. But he knows he’s got to be patient. The team is getting there.”
Odom gave a modest performance of 15 points and 14 rebounds on 6 for 10 shooting from the field before fouling out with 6:32 left in the final quarter. After Odom fouled off, the Lakers fell behind almost immediately and had to claw their way back into the game. The team trailed by 8 with 3:27 left in the match before Bryant helped the team rally back to grab a tied game with less than a minute left thanks to Bryant’s 10 points in the final 3 minutes of the game. However, Kobe’s final clutch moment was when he tied the match on a lay up with 12.3 seconds left in the game.
“I was so sure we would go to OT,” Kwame Brown said, “After Kobe hit it, I was so sure but no one could stop Rush.” Kobe had given his best effort to stop Kareem but the former teammate dribbled past Emeka Okafor and Bryant was tangled in the screen. Kareem went on to sink the basket as the crowd stood up in anticipation and stayed standing as the Bobcats bench erupted with cheers.
Okafor was unstoppable in the paint for this game as he steamrolled the Lakers on his way to 31 points on 14 for 19 shooting. Ernie Bickerstaff stated, “Emeka had a very good game tonight, the Lakers are a tough team and we were lucky to escape Kobe Bryant.” The Bobcats’ coach/gm was referring to their last second loss last season to the Lakers where Bryant won the game with a last second shot.
“Our aim tonight was to make sure we gave it our best to beat the Lakers. They came back after half time and we were a bit shocked but then we slowly took over in the last few minutes especially after they lost Lamar Odom,” last season’s Rookie of the Year Emeka Okafor exclaimed after the match, “We’re looking forward to the next game.”
This game marked the reunion of the Lakers and two former players in Jumaine Jones and Kareem Rush. Both swingman had been traded to the Bobcats for draft picks in the past two seasons and did well against their former team. Rush scored the game winner while Jones chipped in 9 points from off the pine.
Bryant finally got the support he needed from his teammates but the team choked in the final quarter with only Bryant and Mihm playing well. Chris Mihm scored all 10 of his game’s points in the final period. Kwame Brown added 17 and 11 and Aaron McKie scored 11 points.
The Lakers had a similar loss to the Chicago Bulls at the United Center in a 116-119 score line with it too going down to Kobe’s final shot. Scottie Pippen praised Bryant, “It’s good that he’s keeping his head up high, his day will come when he hits that shot.” Even though LA dominated on the boards 56-34 and led with half a quarter left, they couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity and dropped the game.
“It was a great team effort tonight,” McKie told a courtside reporter with 7 minutes to go, “It’s a shame that the game may slip away again like all of the others.” It seems that McKie may have jinxed the team at that point.
Notes
Both team’s starting PGs committed an astounding 10 turnovers each… This was the second straight game in which Odom fouled out… The Lakers have been in talks to trade for Leandro Barbosa of the Phoenix Suns… Before the game, SG Kareem Rush said that he was a bit anxious to play the Lakers to show the team what kind of player they had traded away… Record: 0-2 (0-0) (0-2) …
Box Score
Game Images
Walton makes the layup and keeps running
McKie taps the backboard as he scores on the fast break
Jumaine Joens was traded to Charlotte a few days ago and scores against his ex-team
Bynum scores his first NBA bucket off of a hook shot