Harden Helps Rockets Soar Over Stumbling Lakers

While any basketball fan will remember Kobe’s outrageous scoring performances and phenomenal skills on both ends of the floor, what we should admire is the relentless drive that stemmed from the depth of his love for the game.

Somewhere in between the two would be a nice compromise. Dwight Howard added 16 points and 15 rebounds in the Rockets’ second victory over the Lakers. But, that hasn’t stopped him from asking for Bryant’s autograph.

It’s been five games since D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle lost their starting jobs, but Scott says he will stick with his initial plan of waiting 10 games before possibly adjusting the lineup.

But what is clear is that the Bucks are 10-17 in the Eastern Conference Central, in last place – and with the Cavaliers, Bulls and Pacers ahead of them in the division, they’re not going anywhere.

“Trevor Ariza was one of those kids”, Bryant recalled of the former Lakers and current Rockets forward. He’s a legend, one of the best, and this isn’t something you see every day.

“He’s like my little brother”, Bryant smiled after the game. Wins and losses won’t mean as much as Bryant stat lines and satisfied ticket-holders.

Although he has vehemently shot them down, you have to wonder if he really feels that way as his role as a focal point of the Rockets’ offense seems to get dimmer and dimmer. I got to learn how to do things the right way.

“I didn’t think he had enough legs to do it, but you know, it’s pretty cool”.

On top of it, the Lakers are screaming toward their worst-ever record and remain the second-most popular team in single-game sales on NBA League Pass, where viewers pay $6.99 to watch a live out-of-market game.

“His will and competitiveness”.

“I think I got a tech”, he said. “Just got to kind of roll with it”. But, that heartbreaking loss to their historic rivals would only fuel them to reach championship heights the next year. The over/under total for the game has been set at 213.5 points.

There are 56 regular-season games remaining, and Bryant, of course, would like to play in all of them, but he wasn’t ready to commit to the idea that he’d play as well in all of them as he is playing at the moment.

Despite the Lakers losing Thursday night to drop to 4-22, you can’t blame Bryant – well, not lately.

Apparently, Ariza himself is one of the few. “It’s very, very rare to see that”. “That’s what made that team special”.