Allen's Record Setting Night Sets The Tone, Series Tied 1-1

After a disappointing Game One, the Boston Celtics leave Los Angeles with what they came for: a split in the first two games. Led by Ray Allen's record setting performance from downtown, the Boston Celtics held off the Lakers 103-94. The Celtics now have the homecourt advantage and we officially have a series.

Allen had a night to remember as he broke the NBA Finals single game record for three pointers with 8. Allen tied the mark with 7 in the first half! Boston seemed to be in control of the game, leading by double digits in the first half, but Kobe Bryant nearly went Reggie Miller in the last 5 seconds of the half. After a Ron Artest miss (there were many of those last night), Shelden Williams threw a lazy pass that was intercepted by Bryant who then drained a three. On Boston's inbounds pass, Bryant again stole the ball and heaved up another three pointer that rattled in and out as time expired.

Despite Ray Allen's shooting clinic, Kobe had cut the lead to six as the teams headed into the locker room.

The second half seemed to swing in the Lakers' favor as they quickly took the lead. But Bryant fell into foul trouble picking up his fourth midway through the third quarter. Kobe was forced to sit and Boston kept the game close.

With just under 6 minutes left in the game. Bryant converted an "and 1" three point play to put the Lakers up three. This looked like the Black Mamba's time to break out and take control of the game and give his team control of the series. However it wasn't the game's greatest closer who took over, it was the game's newest star.

Through the first game and three quarters of Game Two, the Lakers were able to contain Rajon Rondo. That seemed to be the success for the Lakers in Game One. No one had been able to hold down Rondo in the Playoffs.

After Kobe had given the Lakers a three point lead, Rondo scored Boston's next six points on easy driving layups. The dagger was Rondo's midrange jumper with under two to play to give Boston a 95-90 lead.

Kobe got uncharacteristically cold down the stretch and couldn't will his team to victory. Everyone was waiting for Bryant to take over, but it never happen.

After two games in Los Angeles where Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce failed to show up last night, the series is somehow tied. Yeah, Rondo was clutch in Game Two, but it was Ray Allen scoring 27 of his 32 points in the first half that gave the Celtics the spark they were so desperately needing.

Rondo finished with his second triple double of this postseason and 5th postseason triple D overall. He had 19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. I still don't understand how this guy gets an easy 12 boards? While the bigs are down low fighting for a rebound, Rondo is making a living running just inside the free throw line grabbing loose ball rebounds.

Maybe the biggest question through the first two games has been the officiating. That always seems to come up this time of year. Kevin Garnett was on the floor for 24 minutes last night. Kobe Bryant got into foul trouble early and often and Phil Jackson was forced to sit Kobe more often than usual.

It's the NBA Finals, we don't want to see the stars on the bench. These are supposed to be the best referees the NBA has to offer. These guys should know all about Derek Fisher and Paul Pierce's flopping. At times, they do seem to let the guys play, but the questionable fouls are usually little tick tac, low contact calls.

The Lakers shot 15 more free throws than the Celtics. However, both teams were whistled for 29 fouls each. So in a way, the referees have been consistent with each team, but there's a lot of times where they need to swallow the whistle. At times, players aren't on the floor long enough to find their rhythm

The difference in the game was easily Boston shooting a "redonkulous" 68.8% (11-16) downtown! The Lakers were just 5-22 from behind the arc.

Also, the Celtics got great production off the their bench as Rasheed Wallace had 7 points/ 7 rebounds, Glen Davis put in 8 points/7 rebounds, and Nate Robinson, again!, got off twitter and put in 7 crucial points off the bench when Boston needed to rest Rondo.

As for the Lakers, Ron Artest was Ron-Ron, shooting 1-10! for six points. Lamar Odom played a total of 15 minutes with only 3 points off the bench as he to got into foul trouble.

In a game where Paul Pierce was just 2-11, he already said Boson won't be coming back to LA. Careful Paul, you don't need to wake up a sleeping Mamba. Now the Lakers have to win at least one of three in Boston or else Kobe will have to go back to hearing about how good Shaq was.

Magic Choke Away Another One Late

Somehow the Orlando Magic find themselves done, down 3 games to 1. The Magic could easily be up 3-1. After being blown out in Game 1, Orlando has actually outplayed the Los Angeles Lakers the last 3 games.

Boy, does experience matter. Orlando was a missed layup away from winning Game 2. They had no chance in OT. And last night, they controlled the entire first half, blew the game in the third quarter, and then came back and had the game wrapped up in the 4th.

But honestly! Do basketball players not watch other basketball games? Do they not learn from experience? Do they not understand Basketball 101?

With Orlando in control in the final minute of Game 4, up 3 points, Dwight Howard bricked two crucial free throws. Howard only needed one to basically seal the deal. And even missing both shots from the charity stripe, the Magic were still up 3 with less than 10 seconds remaining.

All they had to do was defend the three point shot, something you would think Orlando knows a lot about. And if LA doesn't drive the ball for an easy two, FOUL the guy before he has a chance to shoot a 3! Like I said before, Basketball 101!

Not only did Orlando fail to foul Derek Fisher, Jameer Nelson failed to get up in Fisher's grill and contest the shot.

Did we not learn anything from Memphis and the 2008 NCAA Championship Game? No, not cheating on your SAT's.

I know you can't put the total blame on the players. A lot has to fall on Stan Van Gundy who very much played the role of the Master Of Panic last night. I don't know what he told his team on that possession, but I hoped he told them to foul once the Lakers moved the ball past half court.

By not fouling Fisher, Van Gundy gave Phil Jackson, one of the most overrated coaches in NBA history, his record 10th Finals ring. I will write an article on why Jackson is one of the most overrated coaches in all sports in some other time. Really not much explaining to do there.

Orlando should have won last night's game by double digits. The reason they lost, free throws! Larry Bird used to call them "free points." The Magic were 22-37 from the "free point" line, just under 60%.

And with the game tied 91-91 with just over a minute to go in OT, it seemed like the Lakers had the ball an eternity. How many chances did Orlando give them before Fisher hit the game clinching 3? Like the whole second half, Orlando failed to crash the boards as a team.

And Kobe got away with a huge no call on Fisher's trey. Kobe hit Jameer hard with an elbow to a face that should have been an easy offensive foul. But at the same time, what's been fun about the last few games is the fact that the refs have been letting the teams play.

Kobe Bryant is the epitome of a street baller. You know, whenever he misses a shot, his hands immediately go up in the air and he has that astonished look on his face. "What! No Foul?!" Whenever he loses the ball, the same surprised expression. Everyone's played a pick up game with a guy similar to this. And how fun is that?

We've always heard about how important experience is when it comes to the NBA Finals. There was the Piston's trying to get over the hump in the late '80s. Even Jordan had his learning experience before polishing off 6 rings.

This same Lakers' team couldn't get over the hump last year against Boston, but are now proving last year's Finals lost has been a major stepping stone. But hey, you wouldn't think that with guys like Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher would need a learning experience.

The last three games of the NBA Finals have been great with two overtime games. But you could just feel Orlando not having the magic to finish a game off. (I know, good one.) If Kobe and the Lakers hadn't struggled from the line in Game 3, this very well could have been a sweep.

And speaking of Magic, one final note (since this will probably be my final post for a couple of weeks, I'm moving and will actually be going back to work for a week.)

I miss Charles Barkley and TNT's NBA coverage. I've heard that TNT's crew is covering the Finals on the NBA Channel. That must be on the same satellite feed as Versus, I don't get it but wish I did. I can't stand ESPN's studio crew and don't care to watch it. Really no personality there. Stuart Scott is stuck in 1997 and thinks he is still cool. Was he ever? I don't even know what Barry that is on the show. And Mike Wilbon, well, since the popularity of PTI, Wilbon has grown a huge head and is so stuck on himself that he's more worried about going out and being seen at the big city clubs. Like he's some big time celebrity.

And Magic Johnson? Yeah, Magic is one of the best players to ever dribble a basketball. But last night during ESPN's halftime "show," I heard Magic say, "Like I said before the game, if Odom, Gasol, Ariza and Fisher don't shoot well, the Lakers won't win."

Really Magic!!! That's the best your basketball mind can come up with? Duh! That's like saying the team that scores the most points will win the basketball game.

What's even worse, I'm sure on the postgame show, Magic said something like this, "I told you before the game those four players need to shoot the ball for Lakers to win. And the second half they came through." Note: I have yet to see the postgame "show."

How right you are Magic.

As for Orlando, do they really want to win Game 5 and have to travel back to LA and get blown out.

Kobe Leads Lakers As Magic Disappear

When Kobe gets that look in his eye, Mamba's zoned in and there's no stopping him. Kobe single handily took over Game 1 of the NBA Finals as the Lakers routed Orlando.

LA basically only needed the 2nd and 3rd quarters to seal Game 1. Orlando actually had the lead after the first and were even up 33-28 in the second quarter when Mamba stole the show. Bryant had 30 points in a 16 minute span from the second quarter into the the third. The game was well over by the start of the 4th quarter.

In 38 minutes, Kobe had 40 points, 8 boards, 8 dimes, 2 steals and 2 blocks while hitting some ridiculous shots.

As for the Magic, call it stage fright. They just couldn't hit anything. You know the old saying, "Live by the 3, die by the 3. After putting on a 3 point clinic against Cleveland, Orlando shot just 8-23 from downtown in Game 1. The Magic shot 30% overall.

And it's not like the Lakers were playing great defense. Orlando had their shots, but they just couldn't hit anything from wide open 3's to missed layups. A lot of their shots weren't even close.

How does Dwight Howard only attempt 6 shots, making just 1! Howard did get to the line 16 times but finished with only 12 points. The Lakers outscored Orlando 56-22 in the paint.

Mickael Pietrus was the Magic's leading scorer coming off the bench with 14.

The entire starters for Orlando had a combined 46 points, shooting 11-46. That's 24%! Kobe had 40 by himself!

The good news for Orlando, it's just one game. We've seen this team catch fire and when they do, the best player on the planet can't stop them. They've dug themselves deep a couple of times in the playoffs. They were down 2-1 in the first round to Philadelphia. In the Conference Semifinals, they were blown out in Game 2 at Boston. They were down 3-2 to the Celtics.

The bad news? Phil Jackson coached teams are 43-0 when they win Game 1 of a playoff series.

One other note. The Conference Finals wrapped up last Saturday night. That's a 4 day layoff. And now Game 2 of the Finals isn't until Sunday night, at 9pm EST. That's one! playoff game in a week! What the hell are you thinking David Stern. Especially after last night's blowout Game 1, this great post season has quickly lost momentum. Why not Game 2 Saturday night prime time. Do you realize how many people will be turned off by the Game 2 late start on a Sunday night. Did you look at the World Series ratings in the last few years?

And it's between Games 1 and 2! It's not like there's travel involved between the games.

Lakers Show Championship Form, Head Back To Finals

After LA lost Game 2 at home, I really thought they'd have a lot of trouble getting by Denver. Since that Game 2 loss, the Lakers took 3 out of the next 4 from Denver and are heading back to the NBA Finals.

The Lakers have the most talented team in the NBA, but throughout the season, their toughness and consistency had always been questioned. LA had not won back to back playoffs game since winning Games 2 and 3 in the semifinals against Houston. After winning Game 4 in LA, many assumed the Lakers would do their usual and take the next game off and head back home to clinch Game 7. However the Lakers came back to Denver and jumped out to a big early lead and never took their foot off the gas.

Kobe Bryant made sure that wouldn't happen as Mamba had another typical stellar game with 35 points, 10 dimes and 6 boards.

After being dominated by Denver in front court the first 4 games, the Lakers finally got dominate play in the paint from Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Gasol had one of his best playoff performances last night with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists.

Odom came out of his playoff conference finals hibernation with solid back to back games. Last night Odom put in a 20 point, 8 rebound performance. It was this type of play from Odom that Lakers so desperately need if they want to win the franchise's 15 title.

And LA couldn't have shot the ball better. On the road in one of the most electric atmospheres in the NBA, the Lakers shot 57.3% from the field, 56.3% from downtown and a perfect 24-24 from the line. LA's bench was also huge, getting 40 points off the bench.

Overall, a total team effort.

As for the Nuggets? Well, I guess a lot of people, myself included, were a little bit premature in wanting to put Carmelo Anthony's name with the likes of Lebron, Kobe and King James. After dominating the first two games, Melo cooled off. Last night, on his 25th birthday, Melo scored 25 points, getting 12 from the line, and shot only 6-17 from the field.

Now the Lakers must wait and see whether they play the Magic or Cavaliers. If it's Orlando, LA will get home court advantage in the Finals, but the Lakers were 0-2 against the Magic in the regular season.

If it's Cleveland, the Cavs will have home court but LA was 2-0 vs. Cleveland.

Big Trouble In LA LA Land

With around 3 minutes left in the first half of Game 2, I was committed to the Lakers winning the series in 5 games. Denver had their best chance of stealing home court in Game 1 but blew it. Now they were down 13 nearing halftime in Game 2. But then Carmelo Anthony showed why he's one of the least talked about star players.

Denver went on a 14-2 run to close the first half and went into the locker room down just one point. Denver's final bucket of the half epitomized this LA Lakers team. Chauncey Billups was inbounding the ball under Denver's basket when he caught Kobe Bryant off guard with his back to the ball. Billups in bounded the ball off Kobe's back to himself for an easy layup.

The Lakers turned their backs on the Nuggets at the end of the half and know will have to win a game in Denver to survive this series.

After two games in LA, it's the Nuggets who look like the superior team. Denver is more physical, more aggressive. They're driving the ball to the basket, they're playing exceptional defense. Denver's front line is killing LA's.

Kenyon Martin is looking like he's back dominating college ball like he did at Cincinnati.

For the last year we've heard how Andrew Bynum was the missing piece of the puzzle. In two games, Bynum has 15 points and 8 rebounds. He's disappeared in the second half. Pau Gasol may be grabbing rebounds, but like we saw against Boston last year, he seems too intimidated to take it to the rack.

And Carmelo Anthony has brought himself to the upper echelon of the NBA. By the time this series is over, his name will have to be up there with Lebron, Kobe, D-Wade and....Melo. Heck, by the time the Playoffs are over, it very well could be Melo with the ring.

Through two games, Melo has scored 73, Kobe 72.

Sasha Vujacic has yet to show up in the entire playoffs. He's usually good for a couple of three's off the bench. Vujacic failed to get in the scoring column last night.

And Derek Fisher is on his last leg. Last night he had only 3 points on 1-9 shooting! What are you doing giving this guy the last shot of the game?

Linas Kleiza's performance was outstanding. Kleiza had 16 points off the bench. He was 4-7 from downtown and a hit a couple of 3's towards the end of the first half which got Denver back in the game.

And last year, everyone was talking about the Pau Gasol trade and how it was a steal for the Lakers and would put this team over the top. Well, this year Chauncey Billups has had a tremendous impact on this Denver team. They went from borderline playoff team to potential NBA Champs. You just can't say enough about the influence Billups has on a team.

I thought I would never say this, but the NBA Playoffs are better than the NCAA Tournament. The Tourney is basically two full days of basketball. The NBA you get pretty much two months. And don't trying comparing the Final Four's. In the NCAA, you get 3 games in the Final Four. The NBA we can possibly get 14 games. And this year's playoffs are fantastic. We truly have the 4 best teams left standing.

I'm totally changing my pick in the Western Conference. I think Denver wins this series in 6. There is no way LA wins a game in Denver. Especially not Game 3 which will be the biggest game in their franchise history. And I'm still waiting for J.R. Smith to explode, and he will. This guy has been a huge boost for Denver off the bench. His range is anywhere 5 feet or more behind the 3 point line. He will get hot and it will kill the Lakers.

And when the Lakers lose this series, not only will Kobe's career be questioned, but also Phil Jackson's. The Zen Master won 6 titles with the greatest player of all time and then won 3 with a dominant Shaq at the peak of his career and when Kobe was just getting started.

48 hours ago it still looked like a lock for the dream Finals matchup of Kobe/Lebron. Boy how that quickly changed.

Denver Outplays LA But Falls Short In Game 1

If the Denver Nuggets were going to steal a game in LA, last night was a golden opportunity. The Nuggets outplayed the Lakers for nearly the entire game. Denver looked like the hungrier, better team as they played suffocating defense not allowing the Lakers to get easy shots.

Carmelo Anthony was superb! Melo had 39 points, shooting 14-20 from the field and 4-5 from downtown. He carried his team by having arguably the best game of his career and reminded us of his championship run as a freshmen at Syracuse.

Melo had 16 in the first quarter as Denver built a 13 point lead. I was actually thinking the Nuggets would beat the Lakers in 6.

But a funny thing happened. For the entire playoffs, we've heard nothing but how great Denver's bench is. Well, it was the Lakers' bench that wiped away the 13 point lead and helped carry the team to the Game 1 victory.

LA's bench outscored Denver's 27-16. Lakers' bench outscored the Nuggets 20-3 in the first half.

Chris "Birdman" Anderson brought his usual energetic play off the bench, scoring 8 points with 5 boards and 2 blocks. His presence in the paint is dominant on both sides of the ball. But the Nuggets needed a little more from J.R. Smith, who some considered the best 6th man in the league.

Denver did a great job of defending in the paint. Where was Andrew Bynum, who many say was the missing ingredient for Lakers last year. Bynum had only 6 points and was in foul trouble most of the game. Lamar Odom only had 7 points. And Pau Gasol was quiet until Nene fouled out late in the game. Gasol had a huge block and then on LA's next defensive possession drew a charge on Carmelo. Gasol then went to the line and missed two free throws. He did redeem himself moments later by sinking his next 2 foul shots.

What really worries me about the Lakers is there defense. They can be way too soft. Denver had no problem driving the basketball and getting easy looks. Kenyon Martin had 15 and Nene had 14 just owning Gasol all night. One thing, K-Mart has the ugliest one handed shot. It looks like he just pushes the ball to the basket with no arc. I don't know how he makes that shot.

And Denver took 35 trips to the line compared to 24 by the Lakers. That right there tells you who was the more aggressive team. But the Nuggets struggled from the free throw line hitting just 65.7%. That killed them, especially in the first half when they shot 12-21 from the line and allowed the Lakers to get back into the game.

In the entire playoffs, Chauncey Billups was 66-69 from the line. He missed his first 3 free throws last night!

The Lakers finally had a Derek Fisher sighting last night. Fisher hit a huge 3 at the buzzer at the end of the first half to give the Lakers a 55-54 lead at half. Fisher finished with 13 points and 6 dimes.

Chauncey Billups had another solid night with 18 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds, but Denver basically got nothing from its 2 guard spot in Dahntay Jones who only had 1 point.

And of course, the games greatest closer was just that last night. Kobe Bryant took the game over in the fourth quarter and willed his team to victory. Mamba had 18 4th quarter points and hit 6 consecutive free throws in the final 30 seconds. Bryant won the scoring duel against Melo finishing with 40.

Kobe was right on his points per shot with 40 points and 41 total shots.

After outplaying the Lakers and failing to win Game 1, I think this really is going to hurt the Nuggets mentally. This is a team that has played the best basketball in the NBA the last two months. And after giving a superb effort only to fall short may really hurt their confidence. I think the Lakers will steal one in Denver and win this series in 5.

One thing's for certain, Melo vs. Kobe is gonna be real fun to watch for the next couple of weeks.

Rockets Steal Game 1 In LA

OK, I said it before this series started, I really like the way Houston's starting 5 matches up with the Lakers' starting 5. Of course the bench is always key in the playoffs. I'm not surprised the Rockets won last night, but I still don't see this series going more than 6 games.

Houston probably played their best game all season. Yao was dominant with 28 points and 10 boards. He even forced himself back into the game when it looked like he was done when his knee collided into Kobe's late in the game.

Ron Artest finally decided to show up for the playoffs. He was big last night, 21 points and 7 assists. The Rockets need Artest to step up like this if they are to have any chance. Aaron Brooks looked nice with 19.

Maybe the most underrated, obscure player in the NBA is Luis Scola. Your average fan and just about everybody outside of Houston has no idea who this guy is. Scola had a quiet 10 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Pretty solid play from a no name power forward. Scola has a real nice jump shot, plays solid defense and never gives up.

The Rockets were fortunate to win this game when you look at the lack of performance by their bench. Von Wafer has really been the spark off their bench failed to score last night.

Kobe put in his standard 32 points but only went to the line 5 times.

Both teams were pretty dismal from downtown, the Rockets were 5-18 and the Lakers just 2-18. The deciding factor in this game was free throw shooting. Houston was 25-29 and LA just 12-19.

So who was the more aggressive team?

The Lakers' major problem in the first round vs. Utah was LA's lack of killer instinct. The Lakers would get up 20+ points and then let the Jazz go on a run and make the game close.

If the Lakers have any weakness, they are way too soft. And last night they ran into a hungrier more aggressive team.

Same Old Song

A month ago, the Utah Jazz were the hottest team in the NBA and in line for a possible number 2 seed. The Jazz had battled injuries all year but finally got healthy looked to be a threat in the West.

But things fell apart for Utah down the stretch. The Jazz had were terrible on the road and even had a hard time winning in Salt Lake City.

In a preview of this first round match up, Utah was again held in check last Tuesday night by Lakers, 125-112. These two teams met in the conference semifinals last year, with the Lakers having no problems beating the Jazz 4-2.

With the way Utah has been playing of late, they'll be lucky to win one game. Heck, Kobe Bryant could sit out this series and the Lakers would still win 4-2.

Case in point. LA was up 14 points late in the 2nd quarter and Kobe had just 3 points. Yeah, Kobe has learned to make his teammates better, ala Jordan. But you can expect to see Kobe get plenty of rest this series as Utah has seemed to lost its killer instinct.

But when ever LA gets into trouble, bring in the "Black Mamba." You can see the fear in the opposition. Everyone in the building is just waiting for him to explode. And it's only a matter of time.

With just 3 points more than halfway through the 2nd quarter, Kobe scored 9 in less than two minutes and the Lakers were up 62-40 at halftime.

It would be easy for the Jazz to just give up then. But Utah battled back and even cut the deficit to 9 points in the 4th quarter.

But LA's supporting cast was just too much. Pau Gasol was consistent putting in 20 points and Trevor Ariza came from nowhere with 21.

Bryant finished with a "quiet" 24 points, 8 dimes and 4 rebounds.

For Utah, Carlos Boozer was solid leading the Jazz with 27 points and 9 rebounds.

Deron Williams was sick distributing the ball giving out 17 dimes, but the all star point guard was just 4-14 from the field and 0-4 from downtown and finished with 16 points.

Bron-Bron-3 Straight Triple Doubles

This may be the most exciting MVP races in recent memory. Most of the year the talk had been Lebron/Kobe. But lately Dwyane Wade has made a strong case for the MVP, averaging 40 plus points, 10 plus assists and hitting game winning jumpers.

Kobe has his Lakers sitting with the best record in the NBA and the Lakers have swept the Cavaliers and Celtics, pretty much securing home court advantage throughout the playoffs.

Now Lebron has just been lighting it up like Michael Phelps lights up bongs. Caught up in last night's 6 OT Big East thriller, you may have missed one of the funnest NBA games to watch. Bron-Bron led the Cavaliers from behind on the road in Phoenix. In doing so, James finished with his third straight triple double, a feat not accomplished since Jason Kidd.

In Cleveland's 119-111 victory in Phoenix, Lebron finished with 34 points, 13 assists, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 steals.

The biggest play of the game was probably this sick block James had on Jason Richardson. This play came after Lebron missed a three on the other end and Richardson seemed to have a wide open break to the basket. The most amazing part about this play was how in the hell James was able to make it down the other end of the court. This play shows Lebron's determination and hustle.

In Lebron's last three games, he has averaged 26.7 points, 12 dimes and 11 boards.

Last Tuesday, the Cavs were down 19 points in the fourth quarter to the Clippers, only to come back and win 87-83. Yeah, I know it was against the Clippers, but it's pretty impressive when a team can come from 19 down in the final period to win the game, no matter who the opponent is.

Kobe And Lakers Bow Down, Hard! Lebron The Best On The Planet

No more Kobe/Michael comparisons!

No more Kobe/greatest player on the planet comparisons.

If anything, this roll over and drop dead choke job by the LA Lakers signified is this:

Phil Jackson is probably not the great coach everyone suspected, and,

Kobe Bryant is not the best player in the game, and,

Lebron James is the best player on the planet.

This was a totally uncharacteristic Phil Jackson coached team. No real surprise that a Kobe team would play this way.

Now it's obvious. Phil Jackson only benefited from having the greatest player ever in Michael Jordan, winning 6 of his titles. Jackson won three more by having a dominant 1-2 punch of Shaq and Kobe, notice how Shaq comes first. And now maybe Jax won those titles with the help of the NBA and the referees.

I've said all along that I thought Chris Paul should have been the MVP. Being repetitive, but Paul did not have the supporting cast and coach Kobe did. Paul always made his team better.

Enough of CP3. Lets go to another forgotten best player on the planet, Lebron James.

Going into the Finals, it was all Lakers in 5 or 6. Kobe's the MVP, best player on the Planet. The West is more dominant, Kobe has the better supporting cast.

But how can you forget Lebron James? 90% of the nation could not name one other player on Lebron's team. Yet this was the same Lebron led Cavaliers team that came within one game of knocking off the now 2008 World Champion Celtics.




Back to Lebron. No one will ever argue the fact that Kobe had a far greater supporting cast than James did this year. The Cavaliers were horrible. You talk about 4 players standing around waiting and watching one guy run the show. Similar like the Lakers, except Lebron had far much greater success.

Lebron (I will only refer to Lebron, not the Cleveland Cavaliers) could have stolen Game 1 in Boston, if he had not missed so many "bunnies" and the best cheerleader and taunter in the NBA, Sam Cassell would have played his usual role and not showed up on the court. Cassell scored 13 points in Game 1 of the second round series, arguably the difference.

Lebron had no problem and showed no fear driving the ball through Boston's tough defense and getting to the rim. Maybe it was Lebron's youth that caught up to him, because he missed a lot of easy layups throughout the series.




Lebron has always had his outside jump shot questioned, but we all know Kobe is the most dangerous shooter in the game, able to turn around from either shoulder. In the Finals, Kobe failed to be lethal and lacked the determination to drive the ball to the basket and create more open shots for his teammates.

And don't forget, Lebron lost his best scoring threat, "Boobie" Gibson (yeah, what a threat) in Game 5. The same Game 5 Lebron had a 14 point lead at Boston with under 4 to play in the second quarter. Had Lebron not lost Gibson, Lebron wins the series in 6 games.

Lebron was even competitive in Game 7 at Boston, a 3 point miss away from winning the series, with absolutely no supporting cast, continually getting beat down and ruffed up every game.

So now, no way can you compare Kobe to Jordan. A Michael Jordan team would have never folded like Kobe's Lakers team. We all know a Jordan team never would have let a 24 point lead slip away.

And no way! does a Jordan team do whatever the hell Kobe's team did last...you know what? Forget about the Jordan/Kobe comparisons. Forever!



With 6 titles, look at Jordan's supporting cast, basically consisted of only role players. Scottie Pippen, ended up being an average player without Jordan; Dennis Rodman was there for 3 of the titles, but the Worm was never a scoring threat, only a solid defender and rebounding machine, sometimes more of a distraction than anything else. That's pretty much the only All Star's Jordan played with.

Boston Celtics, 2008 World Champions. That still hurts to say, and I wonder how the fair weather Celtics' fans feel about Doc Rivers now. They all wanted this guy's head on a pole last year. I wonder what the Beantown fans response will be now when they hear, "You bought this team and the star players." "They all came from the outside."

I'm already sick of hearing Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen proclaim how much this means to them and the history and legacy of the Boston Celtics. Come on, Allen and Garnett haven't even been in town for a year!

Originally, none of the "Big 3" could carry their own team to a championship. Pierce with his whole career in Boston, could not carry "his" team to the Finals in a post Jordan, weak Eastern Conference era. And yet now, according to Bob Ryan, we're suppose to consider Paul Pierce one of the greatest scoring threats in NBA history!

Jordan kept titles away from Hall of Fame players like Barkely, Ewing, Drexler Miller, Stockton and Malone.

KG failed to ever take "his" Minnesota Timberwolves to the Finals, and of course Ray Allen with "his" team, never made it to the Conference Finals.

KG, Pierce and Allen may now have their rings. But one thing's for sure, they failed to establish their "own" dominant legacy. They showed each could not win with their "own" team. They proved they could only win by joining forces.

And Paul Pierce thanking the "faithful" Celtics fans for sticking with him? Yeah right. Hey Paul, where were these "faithful" fans your whole Boston career? Where were they when you were stabbed 9 or 11 times in a Boston club. Doesn't really sound like you were such a fan favorite then. Heck, weren't they willing to trade you last year for the possibility of having Kevin Durant?




Give Boston and their team executives credit, they learned from their conqueror's. They're franchises have basically become everything they so passionately hated. Can you say New York Yankees?

Who's the happiest guy in the world? Paul Pierce? KG? Ray Allen? Curt Schilling?
No. No. No. And No!
Shaquille O'Neal.
He still has you Kobe, 4-3.
Can you dig it!!!!!!!

And can somebody please give Lebron just one other All Star caliber player!



Since the post Jordan era, I've failed to see anyone dominate the court like MJ. I've failed to see anyone bring as much excitement, passion and consistency to the game. I've failed to witness an NBA Finals that's lived up to its potential.
God I miss watching Michael Jordan. I seemed to take it for granted at the time, not realizing he'd have to hang it up sooner or later and we'd never see another like him.
One thing's for certain. As time goes by, more and more we'll begin to realize just how great Michael Jordan was.

NBA Finals Game 4: Choke Job City!!!

Wow!

This series is over. Crown the Celtics. Get those rings fitted.

The Los Angeles Lakers blew a 24 point first half lead.
They were up 18 at half and 20 points at one time in third quarter. The Lakers blew the biggest lead after half in NBA Finals history during the shot clock era.

The Lakers scored 35 points in the first quarter alone. They scored 33 in the entire second half!




Yeah, the Celtics defense was tough.
But LA choked this one away. The Lakers had an 18 point lead at half, all this while Kobe Bryant did not have one field goal!

The Lakers looked too relax and careless in the third quarter. Then they looked nervous. The whole series they tend to take dumb and careless shots, shooting the ball just inside the 3 point line. That's not a high percentage shot, and if you make it, it's not a 3.

Talk about closing out quarters, Boston closed out the third quarter on a 21-3 run!

The reemergence of Ray Allen as an All Star again has been the biggest shot in the arm for Boston. Allen scored 19 points and pulled down 9 boards! while playing the entire game!




Let's face it. Boston wants it so much more. Other than Bryant, the Lakers have no heart, no kill mentality.

If anyone should know about blowing a 24 point lead, it should be the Lakers. They nearly came back from 24 down with less than 8 to play in Game 2 at Boston.

LA went away from everything that made them so dominant in the first half. The Lakers had really been missing Lamar Odom the first 3 games, he came out in Game 4 attacking the basket, opening up the Lakers' offense. Odom had 15 points in the first half, 7-7 from the field. Odom had 4 points in the second half.

But of course you can't solely blame Odom.

With your best Bill Walton impression, "Where was Lamar Odom in the second half? Where was the entire Lakers' team?"

This type of play is surprising coming from a Phil Jackson coached team. And keep in mind that the Celtics comeback came without Rajon Rondo, without Kendrick Perkins.

Maybe the injuries helped the Celtics. Eddie House has played huge, and he has such a better jump shot than Rondo. The Lakers give Rondo any open jump shot he wants, but with House, you have to defend.



The X factor for Boston, James Posey coming off the bench with 18 points.

No team has ever come back down 3-1 to win the finals. The Lakers need to play the rest of the series one game at a time. But how do you respond in Game 5 after such a dismal performance. You're depressed. Your confidence is shot.

If LA plans to win this series, they need to stage a bigger comeback the next three games then the one Boston pulled off tonight.

Good Luck. Maybe the Lakers win Game 5 at home, but two in a row at Boston?

Hey, we've seen crazier things. And can you really count out a Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant team?

Once again, Kobe Bryant had another great press conference. If you haven't seen this yet, it's definitely worth a look and a good laugh. When did Kobe become so real? A short time ago, he was one of the most hated players in the game. Now, you can't help but root for the Black Mamba.

NBA Finals Game 3: Lakers Survive

If ever Boston was going to steal a game on the road, this was definitely the night. Except for only one of the Big 3 showed up, this time it was Ryan Allen.

with how bad the rest of the Celtics performed, Boston actually had the lead in the fourth quarter.

Game 3 might have been an ugly "Eastern Conference" game, but it was definitely the most exciting and competitive game thus far of the 2008 Finals.

Kobe Bryant looked like the "Black Mamba" and "The Closer" leading the Lakers with 36 points. However the rest of the Lakers' starters combined for 22 points! Vladimir Radmanovic had 3 points and 1 board, Derek Fisher put in 6 points and 1 dime and Lamar Odom contributed another ghost like performance with only 4 points and again got into foul trouble early and often. And other than a couple of tip ins late, Pau Gasol wasn't what made the Lakers so dominant in the first three rounds.


The savior for the Lakers? Sasha "The Machine" Vujacic with 20 points (7-10) off the bench and a huge 3 with under two to play. If you didn't know how to pronounce his name before, you do now.

Paul Pierce, coming home where he's supposed to be just as deadly, was just that, dead. Pierce finished with a Ray Allen like 6 points on 2-14 shooting. Kevin Garnett wasn't much better with 13 points. Pierce and KG combined for 8-35 from the field.

Rajon Rondo was also roughed up leaving the game in the third quarter with a sprained ankle. How come he didn't require 3 teammates and a wheelchair? His status for Game 4 is questionable. This could be a huge blow to Boston considering how horrible Sam Cassell has played. Eddie House did look good (and so did Doc Rivers) getting the call off the bench instead of Cassell. House had 6 points, 2 assists and 3 boards.



LA really missed a golden opportunity to close this one out early. Just as everyone predicted, the Lakers would get to the line. LA had more ft in the first four minutes than they did in the entire first half of Game 2. In fact the Lakers matched their Game 2 total of 10 free throw attempts with 4:59 to go in the first quarter!



All this with the new allegations by Tim Donaghy. (That's a whole nother story).

If you're gonna complain about free throws, you better make em. Neither team did. Boston shot 68.2%, while LA shot 61.8%.

Kobe's postgame press conference was great. (Yeah, I'm a junkie. I even stay up late for stuff like that).

Asked about his poor free throw shooting, Byrant responded,

"It felt like I was in a foreign territory because I haven't been there in so long," Bryant said. "It's like somebody took me and just dropped me off in the middle of Shanghai with no translator . . . and no dictionary."

If that wasn't good enough, Mamba cussed on live national ESPN/ABC/Disney TV. It was awesome!

Funny how ESPN failed to re air any of this during its mammoth on going coverage of the Finals. I never saw again, even with shit being beeped out.

Game 3 Box Score

Game 4, Thursday night.

NBA Finals Game 2

This was supposed to be must see TV. This was the most hyped NBA Finals since the Jordan era. But come on! The first half of Game 2 was very hard to swallow. The officiating was flat out horrendous! Like most of the country, you probably missed the second half and the near historic collapse by the Celtics because, well um, it was almost midnight on a Sunday night!

I know officiating is always a question in the NBA. You can't always cry about the refs. Usually when the refs make a horrible call, they make up for it later on the other end.

I am neither a Lakers or Celtics fan. But how the hell does Leon Powe have 9 free throw attempts to the entire Lakers' team total of 1 with 6:11 left in the first half!

At halftime, Boston had a 19-2 free throw advantage! This never happens in the NBA. You could argue that Boston attacked the rim more than the Lakers, but don't tell me that Bryant, Odom and Gasol weren't aggressive.

Boston had 38 free throws to the Lakers's 10! That doesn't happen in any basketball game no matter what level. Sure it was going to be a route.

Props to the Celtics' defense? The Lakers still shot over 50% from the field and almost came back from 24 down with under 8 minutes left in the game. All that while Boston shooting 38-10 from the line!

Of course Phil Jackson played his usual mind tricks and didn't shy away from the one sided officiating.

"I'm more struck at the fact that Leon Powe gets more foul shots than our whole team does in 14 minutes of play. That's ridiculous."
He added: "I've never seen a game like that in all these years I've coached in the Finals. Unbelievable."

Every game is officiated differently and players and coaches feel out how the refs are calling the game and adjust their play accordingly.

"It was a foul every single time down. We never were able to get into that flow, at that pace that we like to play at."-Luke Walton.



How does Kobe get called for 3 fouls in the first half! I mean he's the best player in the game and the MVP! Two of the three fouls were complete touch fouls with very little contact. So Mamba's PT was limited in the first half.

You would have never of seen Jordan treated this way. Could you imagine how Jordan would have reacted with such treatment?

What happened to the notion of "letting them play the game?"

I love how during some timeouts ABC tries to pull a "Lakers celebrities in the crowd" stunt. Last night in Boston we saw Antoine Walker (yeah, you probably don't even know who he is), Jon Lester, Curt Schilling, Magic Johnson and David Stern.



Speaking of Schilling, enough of the Paul Pierce drama. The guy is not hurt! Quit comparing Pierce to Willis Reed, Kirk Gibson or "ketchup packet in the sock" Schilling.

The second time around was a bunch of Patriots' players and Leonardo Dicaprio.

This series will more than likely go seven games. Let's hope the better team wins.
If not, dome shots all around for the Celtics courtesy of Rachel Nichols.

NBA Playoffs

Now matter how the Boston/Cleveland Series ends....(I can't stand the Celtics by the way), would someone please give Lebron just one other decent scoring threat.

Lebron is constantly being murdered on live TV in front of millions and nobody is doing anything about it! I mean he's basically playing 1 on 5, and every time he goes to the basket the King is brutally mutilated. He has absolutely no supporting cast. It may be the 8th wonder of the world how this team is in the playoffs, let alone the second round and having won 2 games against the 66 wins Celtics, and the same Cavaliers team that was somehow in the Finals last year.

Every game Lebron is playing with an X on his jersey. How does he keep attacking the rim knowing his fate? How does this guy keep getting up? How has Lebron not won an MVP?

As for Kobe? I'm really get sick of everyone saying, "Look at the confidence Kobe has in his teammates!" "Look at the trust Kobe has in his teammates!"

Come on! How much longer can we keep sugar coating this?

I don’t have the stats, but I think in this Utah series the Lakers’ bench is on the plus side in points when Kobe is on the bench. But even when Kobe’s on the bench, just look at the confidence and trust he has on his teammates.

And Oh! My back hurts!

We all experience back pain. I guess even when we normal people have a bad day, we might even blame it on a sore back. But you know what? We normal people don't have professional masseuse on call, we don't receive electric shock treatment on our sore backs, and we get up every day and do our jobs.

Quit crying Kobe! Your freakin phonie!

I'm sure the Lakers' Game 5 win was because the heroic play of Kobe and nothing to do with Pau Gasol's dominant inside play.



And who is this guy Sasha Vujacic? Whoever he is, I don't think he should be talking smack to the opposing team until he shoots a little better than 1-11 from the field.

I don't really care. Just as long as you can beat the Celtics, if it comes to that.

And we all know the network executives are praying for a Lakers/Celtics Finals.

Perfect Hollywood Ending?

"Hollywood Hero"

"Hollywood's Leading Man"

"Perfect Hollywood Ending"



These were just a few of the headlines from across the nation (mostly in Tinseltown) after Kobe Bryant received his first ever MVP award.

Kobe is definitely one of the best players in the NBA, but the 2008 MVP? I don't think so!

First off, we're talking about the same guy who less than 9 months ago called out his teammates, (yes, the very same teammates that embraced Kobe upon receiving the MVP) his coach and General Manager.

Rewind back to opening night. Bryant heard boos from the same Los Angeles crowd that went crazy for him Wednesday night. Talk about fair weather fans!

Lets talk about the media. The same media that brought Kobe down from his accused rape charge in Colorado. The same media that cost Bryant millions of dollars in endorsement money. Now, the same media expects us to embrace Kobe?

How soon we all forget.

Funny how Kobe has all the sudden become a media darling. Did you see him last week accepting the MVP Award. Bryant was all giddy and thanking his teammates who he vocally turned his back on before the season and wanted out of LA worse than any NFL Franchise.

Then before Wednesday night's game against Utah, Kobe was all dolled up wearing his white shoes, the arm band and knee brace while having his daughter run out to the court to hug this American Hero. Of course, Jack was court side wearing his MVP shirt. Only in Hollywood.


What a phony!

Kobe, not Jack.




OK, all the scrutiny behind...

Kobe won the MVP basically because "it was his turn." He won it as a lifetime achievement award. Isn't a lifetime achievement award being elected to the Hall of Fame?

What's even worse, listening to the commentators praise Kobe throughout Wednesday's 120-110 win over the Jazz. Even when Kobe didn't score, it was, "Just look at the confidence Bryant has in his teammates." Even when Bryant wasn't on the floor they still kept hyping the guy.

Who should have won the MVP?

That's easy. Chris Paul.



But wait....Everyone's still trying to figure out where Paul and the New Orleans Hornets came from.

Well, they have come from nowhere. Because no one's paid any attention to Paul and the Hornets until the Playoffs. They play in New Orleans, the part of the country this nation publicly forgot.

Just about everyone had Dallas beating the Hornets in the first round. No one has the Hornets beating the defending champion Spurs in the second.

And yet, after each impressive victory, no one seems to be a Hornets' believer.
They have no playoff experience, when did this guy Chris Paul become so good?

Like I said, the guys been doing it all year.

Kobe won the MVP because 3/4 of the Lakers' games are played on primetime in front of a national audience. I'm not sure New Orleans had any prime time games this year.

Kobe won the MVP because his Lakers' team finished with the best record in the tough Western Conference (only one game better than the non existent Hornets by the way).



Let's not forget, the Lakers' front office, the same front office Mr. MVP verbally attacked prior to the season, made a steal of a trade by acquiring Pau Gasol for next to nothing.

Kobe's Lakers were 22-4 with Gasol, 5-5 without Gasol.

The media has even said that without the addition of Gasol, the Lakers may not have even of made the playoffs.

Lets also include two consecutive Lakers' home losses to powerhouses Memphis and Charlotte without Gasol. Hhmmmm.

Heck, Kobe might not even be the MVP on the Lakers. Besides the addition of Gasol, what about Derek Fisher? Yes, the same Derek Fisher who was a part of the Lakers's dynasty with Shaq. Yes, the same Derek Fisher who played a pivotal role in helping the Utah Jazz reach the Conference Finals last year. Yes, the same Derek Fisher who came up big with 22 points in Game 2. Not just the scoring, but Fisher plays great defense. If the Lakers play the Hornets in this year's Conference Finals, expect him to somewhat contain Paul, but I'm sure Kobe will get all the credit.

What about Lebron James? Think about switching Kobe and Lebron? Lebron on this year's Lakers' team instead of Kobe? Are you kidding me! Lebron would probably have averaged a triple double for the season and put made a serious chase to Jordan's '95-96 Bulls season record. Lebron has never had a supporting cast in his young career. So don't be surprise when Lebron skips out on Cleveland and their horrific front office (Christian Laettner) and bolts to the Knicks or Jay Z's soon to be Brooklyn Nets.

Now in the playoffs, the nation finally gets to see the Hornets, and what's their reaction? Boy, this Chris Paul guy can play and is sure fun to watch. And Wow!, when did David West become such a great shooter.


Well, David West gets his props because Chris Paul creates open shots for West. Paul has West and one time Lotto bust Tyson Chandler playing like All Stars. Reggie Miller said it best going into the Spurs/Hornets Series: "Let Chris Paul get 35 points. It's when he gets his teammates involved is when he's most deadly." Hhmmm...MVP?

Paul just keeps getting better. Last year, the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets didn't make the playoffs. The Hornets didn't even have a legitimate home. Now, they're the number 2 seed in one of the toughest conferences in NBA history.

What's even more, Paul has better stats than the back to back MVP seasons Steve Nash had.

Even if you didn't (don't be ashamed, no one else really did either) see Chris Paul play this season, at least you could look at the box scores and see something special.

You're probably thinking I just jumped on Chris Paul's bandwagon now. Sorry, I've been pimpin the true MVP all year. Well, take a look.

And once again, here's CP3's website.

My 2007-08 MVP voting:

1. Chris Paul
2. Lebron James
3. Kevin Garnett
4. Kobe Bryant

Thank You!

All time NBA MVP's:

NBA POSTSEASON AWARDS
Most Valuable Player

Maurice Podoloff Trophy
2006-07 - Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
2005-06 - Steve Nash, Phoenix
2004-05 - Steve Nash, Phoenix
2003-04 - Kevin Garnett, Minnesota
2002-03 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio
2001-02 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio
2000-01 - Allen Iverson, Philadelphia
1999-00 - Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers
1998-99 - Karl Malone, Utah
1997-98 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1996-97 - Karl Malone, Utah
1995-96 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1994-95 - David Robinson, San Antonio
1993-94 - Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston
1992-93 - Charles Barkley, Phoenix
1991-92 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1990-91 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1989-90 - Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
1988-89 - Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
1987-88 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1986-87 - Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
1985-86 - Larry Bird, Boston
1984-85 - Larry Bird, Boston
1983-84 - Larry Bird, Boston
1982-83 - Moses Malone, Philadelphia
1981-82 - Moses Malone, Houston
1980-81 - Julius Erving, Philadelphia
1979-80 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles
1978-79 - Moses Malone, Houston
1977-78 - Bill Walton, Portland
1976-77 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles
1975-76 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles
1974-75 - Bob McAdoo, Buffalo
1973-74 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee
1972-73 - Dave Cowens, Boston
1971-72 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee
1970-71 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee
1969-70 - Willis Reed, New York
1968-69 - Wes Unseld, Baltimore
1967-68 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia
1966-67 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia
1965-66 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia
1964-65 - Bill Russell, Boston
1963-64 - Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati
1962-63 - Bill Russell, Boston
1961-62 - Bill Russell, Boston
1960-61 - Bill Russell, Boston
1959-60 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia
1958-59 - Bob Pettit, St. Louis
1957-58 - Bill Russell, Boston
1956-57 - Bob Cousy, Boston
1955-56 - Bob Pettit, St. Louis

NBA Line of the Week for 3/17 to 3/23

Vinsanity is back? Well, for one night at least. Now, that Jason Kidd is gone and the soon to be Jay Z's New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets are in shambles, Vince Carter is trying to prove he can still lead a horrible team into the playoffs.

Earlier this season, Carter had been rumored to be traded across the Hudson to the NY Knicks, but even the Knicks would not render his services. Scary, huh! Carter showed some flashes of Vinsanity last Wednesday (3/19) when he led the depleted Nets to victory over the Atlanta Hawks 125-117.

The win kept the Nets within striking distance of the eighth seed and a first round sweep by the Celtics.

VC's line: 39 points, 8 assists, 10 rebounds, 17-26 from the field.

In a tribute to Carter, the video of him dunking completely over a 7 foot guy in the Olympics never gets old.



Other high rollers last week:

Kobe Bryant put up 36 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists in a losing effort to Golden State. You can only hope these two teams meet in the first round...heck any round of the playoffs. NBA action! It's Fantastic!

Finally, I've been pimpin this guy for awhile. No, not Lebron, but Chris Paul. Right now, the man is this year's MVP. I mean, how many other people can you name on his team. What team does he play for (City and mascot)?

CP has been willing the Hornets to the top of the Wacky West Conference. Last Monday, Paul led his team with 37 points and 13 assists to come from behind and beat the Chicago Bulls. The Hornets were down big most of the game but finished on a 24-4 run in the final 7 minutes. CP and the Hornets went 3-0 last week with wins over Chicago, Houston and Boston.

Paul has even been making Tyson Chandler actually look like a Lotto Pick.
Check out CP's highlights from just that one game.

NBA Line of the Week for 2/25 to 3/2

Kobe Bryant kept the Lakers near the top of the Wild West Conference and solidified his candidacy for his first ever MVP award. Bryant helped the Lakers to a huge win over Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks with a 108-104 Overtime victory last Sunday (3/2). Kobe scored 22 points in the 4th quarter, 8 in OT and for the 22nd time in his career, Bryant hit the 50 point mark.
Kobe's line: 52 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 15-27 from the field and 20-27 from the line, including 13-13 in the 4th quarter.