Jordan Clarkson Leads Lakers Past Celtics In Kobe Bryant’s Final Boston Outing

“I always remember the beauty of it – at the time not so much (laughs)”. “Even though I don’t root for Kobe and I’m not a fan of his, I can see how good of a player he is”. There were loud cheers when he missed the free throw after a Boston technical foul.

After finishing his on-court interview, Bryant then walked through the entrance tunnel and high-fived fans For one last time, Bryant thanked the crowd for cheering for him after once relishing the crowd for endlessly booing him.

Bryant said he still gets cold sweats when he hears songs such as “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins, which became a signature pregame song during the Celtics’ recent Big Three era. Well, the Lakers were able to counter the usually very troublesome Celtics backcourt with Williams (19 points, 7-of-9 from the field) and Clarkson, scoring 24 points in one of his better games this season, hitting 10-of-15 shots.

“I was so happy when that song came on”, Bryant said after the game, referring to when he heard the Dropkick Murphys anthem in the fourth quarter.

The Hornets selected him but he never had the chance to play for the team as he was traded to the Lakers for center Vlade Divac.

“It’s just a surreal feeling, honestly”, Bryant said.

Bryant’s final trip to Boston as a player offered a time to reflect on all the memories, harrowing, great and otherwise.

The plaque also featured an inscription that read, “In recognition of your many legendary performances on the Parquet floor”. Wednesday marked the return of former Celtics F Brandon Bass to Boston and he had nine points and six rebounds off the bench….

The 76ers (3-31), who haven’t won back-to-back games since March 18 and 20, had lost a historic 28 straight dating to last season before celebrating a 103-91 victory over the Lakers on December 1 in Bryant’s last game in his Philadelphia hometown.

He had his moments here, including a 43-point, eight-rebound, eight-assist effort in January 2007 that drove Boston to a franchise record-tying 13th consecutive loss.

There really is nothing like walking out of the tunnel for your first pro sports game and seeing the court/field/ice for the first time. The crowd gave him the reception he wanted and he gave the Boston Celtics fans some of the best praise they could have received. It’s not believed to be serious but it’s the same one that ended his 2014-15 season in January because of a torn rotator cuff. They can go back to using real keys, not plastic credit-card-sized ones. “So I went and they had the kit laid out for me and I was just kind of looking at [the jersey] like, ‘Am I really about to do this thing?'” His struggling Lakers had earned a rare win, holding off a late Celtics charge. How the Celtics respond to this defeat is crucial, considering a grueling 18-game January schedule that includes four back-to-backs.

What stands out about that work is Turner’s ability to turn on his offense during the most important parts of a game. “2008 on, though, that wasn’t going to happen”.