Bryant ‘s double-double carries Lakers past Celtics

How do you act? Boston made a run late and cut down the lead to two points, 104-102, with less than two minutes to go in the game but Bryant made a key three-pointer as the Lakers held on to the lead and to victory.

Bryant, who came in averaging 25.1 points per game in his career against Boston, was averaging 21.3 points over the previous eight games.

Instead, the more intriguing play here is to experiment with their most successful offensive unit and bench Clarkson, who’s shooting 14.3 percent from behind the three-point line since returning from an ankle injury on December 15. The form he displayed, and his ability to shine in a timely moment, were vintage.

It was both nauseating and nice. I said ‘listen, it’s fine, it’s fine. “I was there to (try to block) it but he made it”.

If Kobe did end up with Boston, he told ESPN that he would have still played just as hard – what else is he going to say at this point, though. “I mean it drove me to maniacal proportions”.

But as soon as Cowens said they did not want him, Bryant said, “Then I was like, ‘Oh, all right.’ I quickly transitioned from smiley kid to killer instinct”.

That’s classic Bryant, isn’t it?

Bryant might have booed himself in the first half Wednesday.

The Lakers-Celtics rivalry has seen better days.

It was Bryant’s 173rd career double-double. “Their roster was a mixture of young players, veteran players, nasty, tough players”. Because when we lost (to the Celtics) in 2008, that was the turn for me. Kobe deserves the praise and respect he is now receiving, but I will not be at all saddened by the retirement of the player that has caused this basketball fan so much agony. Bryant had played in Boston plenty of times including the NBA Finals on two separate occasions but never again will he likely set foot into the TD Garden. Bryant said he could hear the haunting percussion through the walls in the locker room and knew that game time was near. Once the game ended, Bryant stood on the court to bask in the moment some more. He recalled sitting there with teammates and, believe it or not, laughing. The guys wondered what the hell was going on – why was the most ruthless competitor in the room chuckling after such devastation? In his final game, John Elway won his second consecutive Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos, taking home MVP honors and putting the cherry on top of a Hall of Fame career previously overshadowed by three Super Bowl losses years earlier. Then I got to Kobe Bryant.

“The loss led to the win”, he said.

“I think a lot of people have always thought that he and I have always had this rivalry, and it’s the most ridiculous thing”.

Bryant already announced his plans to retire after this season – his 20th – all with the Lakers.

The Celtics knew that they should have beaten the Lakers and ESPN talks about the disappointing game. “I can’t stress that enough”.

It took awhile last night, but Bryant ultimately proved why. And then just experience the green.

As the game wound down and the Lakers pulled away for the 112-104 win, just LA’s sixth of the season, TD Garden sounded like the Staples Center.

This is their first meeting of the season and will only meet again one other time at Staples so this should be enjoyable to watch.

Maybe he heard Phil Collins inside his head.