Kobe Bryant’s Advice to Stephen Curry and the Warriors: “Go Make History”

Porzingis was held to 11 points on 5-of-17 shooting from the floor. But as the Lakers demonstrated in their 116-98 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Thursday at the Oracle, Bryant’s pain threshold alone does not assure both victory and memorable performances as it did in past seasons. No one believed the Lakers would come back, seeing as Golden State had won 36 straight home games going back a full season.

The Oakland fans treated Bryant like one of their own – rather than the one that got away in the 1996 draft – during a lengthy pregame introduction.

More often than not, Bryant and the Lakers were dominating bad Warriors teams. Green, in his return to the lineup, played 27 minutes and scored seven points with nine rebounds and five assists. Roy Hibbert averages 1.7 blocks per game. “It’s fun to go to these arenas for the last time and be able to soak it all in and really appreciate the arenas and appreciate the fans and the players from a different perspective versus having blinders on and really just focusing on one thing”. To have that appreciation from them tonight was pretty awesome. From there, Nikola Jokic anchored an impressive defensive effort that kept the Warriors scoreless for a almost four-minute stretch in the fourth quarter.

Wednesday night’s 112-110 loss to the Nuggets showed just how hard the Warriors’ pursuit of 73 wins will be, even at their current pace. His only 2-point hoop came on his second dunk of the season.

“Normally, for the majority of my career, I’ve had blinder on and wouldn’t allow myself to really appreciate and soak it all in because you have focus”, Bryant said when asked about the reception. “They bring it every night, so I’ve got to do it every night”. But take out Curry’s hot shooting and the other Warriors shot just 31.42% from the field in the first half, giving the reigning MVP very little support in mounting a 52-49 halftime lead.

F Draymond Green, Golden State’s do-everything forward, sat out a game for the first time this season as a scheduled day of rest.

In Los Angeles, backup center Cole Aldrich had 19 points and seven rebounds in place of ailing DeAndre Jordan, and the Clippers used a thunderous third-quarter surge to beat Miami.

“It’s their time”, Bryant said of the Warriors, the defending National Basketball Association champions. They’re still in an uphill battle with the Heat, Pacers, Thunder, Grizzlies, Pistons and Hawks left before they hit the road, but the team can win four of the next six if they play the way they did against the Warriors. “It was awesome to see them”. I had my run.

Bryant said there’s something special about Oracle, where he recorded his first 50-point game (51) in a game on December 6, 2000, when the Warriors’ Antawn Jamison also scored 51 in a 125-122 overtime win for Golden State.

The Lakers also got 14 points apiece off the bench from point guard D’Angelo Russell and power forward Julius Randle.

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson, left, drives past Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016, in Denver.