Harden leads Rockets to lopsided 126-97 win over Lakers

As has been the case in most cities, fans of Bryant and the Lakers have snatched up tickets in droves and sprinkled purple and gold no. 24 jerseys throughout road arenas. “He’s a double threat”, Scott said.

On Friday, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers met Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs yet again.

It didn’t take long for the Lakers to be reminded of their latest free-agent failure.

Lakers: G Jordan Clarkson missed his second straight game with a sprained right ankle…. Thornton scored 11 points in less than two minutes and Houston led 51-29 before Bryant led a Lakers’ resurgence. He learned he was starting during shootaround, and spent the day calling and texting family and friends, and finding tickets to accommodate those who wanted to see him play.

Popovich said Bryant’s consistent intensity was a rarity. “I haven’t had the chance to see Michael (Jordan) play in person, but he’s a modern Michael”.

He was turned him off nearly immediately – too much style and not enough substance in the Lakers’ pitch. “I think he deserves to be there”.

“The second meeting was just myself and (general manager) Mitch (Kupchak)…It was all basketball”, Scott said.

It will be different in the future, Scott pledged, an important concept with the Lakers on the lookout for free agents next summer, notably Kevin Durant.

“I thought our first unit was doing a good job”, head coach Byron Scott said.

Scott’s ties with the Lakers as a player – he won three championships as part of Los Angeles’ Showtime era – made him a popular choice to clean up the mess left by Mike D’Antoni, but Scott only has created more questions about the direction of the franchise. The game became Kobe’s highest scoring game in his career and the second most points scored in a single National Basketball Association game.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he believes power forward LaMarcus Aldridge is slowly but surely becoming more comfortable with his new team and its system. “I think it’s overblown, like we’re going to have some sort of a sales deal”. We tried to sell Jason Kidd (2003) and it didn’t work. We had mariachis and everything, all kinds of stuff.

“It’s cool to come back here and let them see what I do on a daily basis”, Clarkson said.

“We just did the polite thing”.

“It will be a great personality gone”, Popovich said. They are one of the few teams that migrated over during the ABA-NBA merger in 1976.

Aldridge, 30, has been only OK with the Spurs, averaging 15.4 points and 8.8 rebounds but acting deferential on offense. He’s also struggled with his shot, making a career-low 45.5 percent. He may not be the player that he once was, but the Lakers need to keep him off the glass.

Beyond Russell and Lou Williams (19 points), there wasn’t much they could cheer Friday. Bryant delivered to the delight of his supporters, posting 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals despite sitting out the fourth quarter.