Byron Scott Doesn’t Want to See Kobe Bryant Dunk Again

The big story out of the Los Angeles Lakers 111-107 victory Tuesday night was once again the recent resurgence of Kobe Bryant, who after a brutal start to the season is averaging 22.4 points on 49.4% shooting with 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists over his last five games.

Here’s what else you need to know about the Lakers’ 120-85 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder….

LUCY NICHOLSON/REUTERS En route to his fifth ring, Bryant had to go through Kevin Durant and the Thunder in 2010.

Westbrook had 23 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Thunder (20-9). But that’s one thing I love about him, too. Fresh off a 35-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, Bryant flashed a wide grin in his postgame presser. If you say this is my team and you tell them who to bring in and you win championships with new people, I truly believe that that team understands how much value you are to them. Kevin Durant scored 21, Serge Ibaka 17, Enes Kanter 16 and Andre Roberson 15.

Before the game, Lakers coach Byron Scott offered a somber view of Bryant’s last season. “He has got a lot of potential”, Bryant said of Simmons. “I asked Kobe if he wanted to guard him and he said, ‘I got him.’ He had two points after that”.

Bryant will look to improve his losing record, 6-9, on Christmas Day, where he’ll carry his career scoring average on the holiday of 25.5 points against the Clips.

“I try to look at my legacy and how it impacts the future of the game. There’s no sense in yelling at it”. They’ve beaten the Lakers six straight times, matching the longest such streak by the Oklahoma City/Seattle SuperSonics franchise. With 8:42 left in the quarter, the Nuggets quickly got the lead back as Darrell Arthur made a 2-point shot, giving Denver an 88-87 lead. The veteran has gradually found his rhythm with the season going and helped the Lakers pull away with a win with a season-high 31 points.

Bryant indeed guarded Barton for all of his second half shots, but what is less clear is if Bryant really deserves full credit for shutting down Denvers’ primary bench scorer.

“I mean we’ll see”, said Kobe Bryant. “He plays with no fear”.

And while Scott said his star’s shoulder was still “a little sore”, it hardly showed. He’d be unstoppable in the block, at his size.

Unfortunately for the Nuggets, rest is exactly what Kobe needed to get back to the high level he has been playing at of late.

“That type of stuff is the stuff that I’ll miss”. The Thunder is 14-2 against Western Conference teams.

Lakers: F Julius Randle did not play because of an ankle injury, and swingman Nick Young was sidelined because of gastroenteritis….

Kobe Bryant, reflecting on the nature of scandal in sport, believes Federation Internationale de Football Association needs to clean its house after damaging “the emotional Shangri-La you get from sport”. The Lakers recalled C Tarik Black and F Ryan Kelly from the D-League’s L.A. Defenders.